MISSION: December
by Duoloopo
Summary: December seen through the eyes of Heero Yuy. The friends he has, the friends he doesn't want, the food, the music, and the other side of a secret. MISSION: Accepted.
1. November 30

DISCLAIMER: Don't own it!! Or make any profits by writing and of this junk!!

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Name: Heero Yuy

Date: November 30, 201 AC

Time: 5:30 pm

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom. Apartment 001.

Mission: Rid refrigerator of Duo's leftover American Holiday turkey.

I don't want to eat turkey anymore. I'm sick of it. So I am merely ridding myself of the leftovers that Duo thought I would want after celebrating his American Holiday, Thanksgiving. But I had about thirteen pounds of leftovers. "Oops." Duo had said when he realized there were three leftover turkeys. Sometime's I don't think that he knows how to think.

Quatre had kindly taken home a turkey, as had Hilde. I exchanged nervous glances with Wufei. It would be one of us taking it home. Trowa lived with Quatre. Those two were inseparable since the war. And Duo had too much of his damn pride to ask Relena or Dorothy to take one home. Milliardo and Noin had only shown up once every year, so they couldn't take it since their visit hadn't happened yet. Showing up early and staying around wasn't really in their taste. Howard would've taken it, except the old man said something about his health and Duo had stopped before asking. And Une was completely out of question. She had become a vegetarian after the war, deciding that if she must kill, it would be the 'idiots that are destroying the world' and not the innocent animals.

Wufei and I were left to fend for ourselves.

"Guess I'll freeze this last one and take it out for the end of the year." Duo had said. Apparently he didn't think Wufei or I cared enough to want it, which was completely and uncharacteristically intelligent of him.

I'm sure Sally, much to the injustice of Wufei, would have offered to take it had I not, at that exact moment, felt sorry for the braided idiot.

"I'll take that one, unless you want freezer burnt turkey for Christmas dinner." It came out more accusing than anything. I looked around to see Relena and Dorothy in mid gossip staring at me. Wufei, smirking, was staring at me. Sally, disappointed, staring at me. Quatre and Trowa in mid embrace, staring at me. Howard, hand on his heart in feigned heart attack, staring at me. Hilde, on her fourth drink, staring at me. Une, disheveled, staring at me.

It annoys me when people stare at me and Duo was the only one kind enough not to, although I couldn't see his face. It was bowed and hidden behind his bangs, and I got a little worried. Maybe I shouldn't have offered. Maybe I was too accusing. I've been working on being more sociable, but I don't really like crowds of people and new places.

When his head lifted and showed the room that he was holding back laughter, I calmed substantially. He wrapped the damned turkey and bagged it, and let me on my way.

I've had nothing but turkey since then. Turkey slices and eggs for breakfast. Turkey sandwiches for lunch. Turkey and gravy for dinner. One time I cut the turkey into little chunks and threw it in an omelet. One time I had turkey soup for lunch. But I always managed turkey and gravy for dinner.

So to be accurate, I have only about 2 pounds of turkey left, most of it bone. And today, I am going to throw it away. And I'm going to do it without the new found emotion of guilt. I'm sick of turkey and ate most of it anyway.

Except, the second I'm about to stick the carcass in the trash bag, a rhythmic knock on my door alerts me that Duo had decided this most unfortunate opportunity to arrive. I have no choice but to put the damned carcass back in its spot in the refrigerator, and answer his incessant knocking.

"Duo." I say as he lets himself in. He takes his shoes off at the door, something I've inherited from my culture and so, make everyone who wishes to enter the threshold of my house do as well. He has taken up the habit effortlessly.

I half expect him to say, "Want me to cook up some turkey?" But he doesn't, just walks to my refrigerator and opens it. He makes himself at home. "Dude! You seriously ate this whole thing?" He holds up the remains of the turkey.

"Hn."

"Shit, I thought you'd throw it away. Aren't you sick of turkey? You had to eat it night and day to carve off this much after only three days!"

"Hn."

"Oh man, this is going in the trash! No more turkey for you! I'm going out this second. Want some ramen or sushi or something? Maybe some Italian? I'll bring it here."

Proof that Duo Maxwell has a brain: He threw the turkey in the trash bag that was waiting to be stuffed, and slipped past me and back towards the front door. While he slipped into his shoes, I pondered what I wanted to eat.

"Can you manage something like burgers or some Mexican take out? Make it chicken or beef." He nodded and rushed out the door. I think humiliation is something akin to the feeling I'm feeling right now. I ate the whole damn thing, and he didn't even expect it.

Duo has showed up at my Preventer owned apartment almost every day since he joined the company. The only time he didn't show up at my house was when he was away on a mission and I've found that on those days, my house seems… peaceful. He always talked too much for his own good.

My eyes settle on the trash bag full of turkey and I think that it might be time to clean out the rest of the refrigerator as well. The light turns on when it's opened and I take a look at the clear Ziploc bags, recognizing some of the contents and wondering how long it took others to get that fuzzy. I only have about four Tupperware containers. The others all mysteriously disappeared when Duo joined Preventers. The fuzzy food needs to go. I throw them out in the trash bag and throw the two containers into the sink, never missing. I'll make sure to do an extra hot rinse cycle on the dishwasher this time around.

After throwing the last of the fuzzy contents into the bag and the containers into the sink, I close the door, content with how much more room there is in my fridge. However, it brings to my attention just how empty my fridge actually is. Grocery shopping will be in my agenda for later today. Opening the fridge door again, I take inventory of the supplies I need: milk, juice, eggs, fruit, greens, lunch meat, and cheese. I open the freezer to less fuzz and more emptiness. Meat. I officially need meat in my house. I add chicken, and beef to the mental list. And maybe some fish. Or crab. There's something about cracking open the shell of the crab and pulling out the insides that pleases me.

Of course I'll have to buy enough for two, although I don't know if Duo likes or has ever had crab. I've only ever eaten it by myself. Perhaps I will ask him when he returns.

Returning to my inventory of food goods, I move to my cupboard. I'm out of cereal, granola bars, and crackers. This is seriously a long awaited grocery trip. I'll also need an abundance of allergy medication. Flowers…

I stop dead from my walking out of the kitchen about a hair away from tripping and falling over the trash bag at my feet. I feel a sense of unease before I feel the victory of knowing that I have retained my balance and awareness skills from the war. However unpracticed they may be. Another mental note: take up training again.

I take the bag by the handles and lift it, carrying it into the front room to pick up the trash Duo or I may have left in there since my last cleaning, which was far too long ago. There are some paper plates on the coffee table, plus a few old magazines from last year. I toss those into the bag before looking to my shelves where there are eight vases with old flowers in them; another reason for the allergy medicine. I get flowers from friends and admirers all the time, especially after a stay in the hospital. Some of the flowers are molding inside the vases which reminds me to run the extra hot cycle on the dishwasher.

The bag is still only halfway full, so I drag it into the bathroom, it's become heavy and I admit to laziness in this rare moment. The garbage is emptied from there, and I drag the fuller bag into the door of my office. To be completely honest, I'm not sure where the garbage can is in here. When it comes to research and education, I tend to be a pack rat. Leaving the bag in the doorway, I make towards the center of the room through a maze of basook walls and paper floors eventually ending at a desk. There are more paper plates and more useless magazines. I take up as much as I can and make towards the light from the door, shining over the walls of books and eventually reach the door again. Depositing the garbage into the bag, I make towards my room, dragging the heavy thing once again. The garbage in my room is an easier find and after tipping the basket into the bag and emptying it, I put it back next to my side table.

All that's left is to wait for the left over take out boxes and then take a trip down to the ground floor. Making my way through the apartment again, I go into the front room and take up the vases that need the extra hot cycle. I leave the garbage where it is. No need to carry around extra weight.

The dishwasher loads quickly enough, considering I have more vases than Tupperware or utensils. By the time I'm pouring the soap in, Duo comes huffing into the place with 2 bags of what looks like Taqueria take out. His shoes slip off and he pads into the kitchen.

"Got Taqueria. There's a super burrito, carne esada with no sour cream, and about twelve cheese enchiladas extra sauce. The rice and beans are in that bag. Didn't know what you'd want to drink but I got an extra large horchata if you want to share." He spoke, pulling containers out of the bags.

"Never had hor – cha – ta." I said, pulling the drink towards me. I poked the straw he handed me through the hole and took a sip. It was surprisingly sweet. Like liquid candy. I looked up at him watching me with interest. "There's beer in the fridge." I said, setting the horchata down. He shrugged and got a beer, popping the cap before handing it to me.

I shook me head. "Beer's for you. I want the hor-chata."

"Hey! I got the harhcata for me! I said _share_ not 'you can have it, oh master of the universe!'" He wailed. I couldn't help but chuckle.

We ended up sharing the horchata and beer, splitting the super burrito and only managing to kill off about four of the enchiladas. The rice and beans were mostly forgotten.

"All the more for our lunch tomorrow! And everything is better the day after, except macaroni. But especially spaghetti. Ahhh, now there's the dinner staple." I was shoving the leftovers in the fridge while Duo was attempting to find the garbage. "Where's the bag? I see an empty can, but no bag. Heero, you're trying to make life harder on me aren't you?"

"You can't be that lazy. The bag is in the front room." I picked up the two things Duo couldn't carry and followed him. I nearly ran into him, remembering the note for taking up training again.

"Is there supposed to be a puddle in here?" Duo asked as I walked around him. The garbage bag was still in its place, however a puddle had formed under it.

"Damnit. I'll get another bag. You throw these away."

Duo was twirling the bag around in the puddle when I came back with another bag. His explanation was that he was trying to stop the flow of creative juices. My problem was that he was splattering those juices all over my wall. I opened the new bag in a gush of air, counted to three, and Duo lifted the juicy bag while I shoved the new bag around the bottom of it. Duo dropped the old into the new and ran to get paper towels.

He threw way too many paper towels on top of the mess then ran to my aide of getting the gross monstrosity of a garbage bag down stairs.

"Don't ever make three turkeys for Thanksgiving again Duo." I said on the elevator, covered in muck since the turkey bone had decided to rip a hole in the new bag.

"I didn't expect you to really eat it! I figured you were just trying to make me feel better."

"I was! But it would be a waste if I didn't eat it!"

"You could've given it to the poor!"

"But I wanted it! It was my turkey! One that you made for all of us."

"Aww Heero. Didn't know you were so sentimental."

"Shut up. I never want to see another Turkey as long as I live."

"But I'm making _four_ next Thanksgiving! That way Wufei can have one too!"

"He was ready to commit suicide if it meant I would take the Turkey this year!"

The elevator pinged and we made our way through the hall holding this incredibly awkward garbage bag so as to not let it drip all over the carpet. The side doors were close and we made our way to the dumpster without much trouble.

"On the count of three toss it in." We counted to three in unison before throwing the bag over the top.

Somewhere between our hands and the dumpster, the turkey carcass decided to come back to life and flew out of the bag, landing at my feet. Already frustrated with the turkey beyond belief, I forgot who and where I was for a moment. It started with a growl as I bent to pick up the carcass, turned into a bellow worthy of medieval war as I threw the carcass against the back of the dumpster and ended with a laugh as it fell with a sickening _splat_ into its prison.

I was breathing heavily when I came back to reality. Chancing a glance at Duo I saw that he was standing, eyes wide open though wet around the edges, one hand over his mouth, shaking uncontrollably with confined laughter. I could only think of one thing to say.

"Fucking turkey." That did it. Duo's laugh could've been heard in space. He bent over, grabbing the side of the dumpster to hold him up. I crossed my arms in defiance which only made him laugh harder before turning on my heel and making my way back up to my apartment.

The paper towels were soaked through, so maybe Duo didn't put too many on the puddle. I picked them up and scrubbed the floor with a sponge to get rid of the stickiness. Duo came back when the clean up was over, still laughing.

"Are you done?" I asked, defeated.

"Ahh, yeah, yeah. Whoo. Man that was-" Duo stared at me.

"What?" I took a step back. He took two steps forward.

"Hold still." He said quietly. He continued making his way closer to me. I turned my head to the side as he set his hand on my chest. My heart was racing with uncertainty.

"Fucking turkey." He whispered. His hand came off my chest. I looked from his face to his hand. He was holding what looked like piece of turkey!

"Give me that!" I wrenched the piece from his hand and before thinking, shoved it into my mouth, chewed and swallowed. If it had a taste, I completely missed it.

When I looked back at him, Duo looked disgusted. I wondered why for about a full minute before remembering that the turkey had been amidst a pile of other moldy foods and trash. I gagged running for the bathroom to either vomit or brush my teeth and swallow some mouth wash.

"I never want to see a turkey again!" I restated on my way. I almost missed his response.

"Maybe I'll make five! That way we can each have our own!"

Mission: COMPLETE


	2. December 1

DISCLAIMER - I still have yet to own the rights to anything but myself.

A/N - You know when you post something really cool and everyone likes it, and the next thing you post you feel super nervous about because it might not hold up to everyone's expectations? That's where I am right now.

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Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 1, 201AC

Time: 6:45 am

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom. Apartment 001

Mission: Plan my December.

I look at my calendar first thing in the morning. It's a desktop calendar, paper, no pictures. Trowa gives me one every year at Christmas without fail. Today was the first of December. Time to rip off the November page and write in any set in stone dates for December.

Tossing the November page into the trash can makes me aware of how ungodly messy this room has gotten. I live in apartments paid for by Preventers, as do the other Gundam Pilots who decided to work. Wufei, Duo and Trowa. They are equal in my friendship and even Quatre, who keeps up Winner Enterprises, is equal in my friendship. Duo has a special place in my fridge though.

December 24, Quatre's Christmas party. December 25, give and receive gifts at Quatre's. The pilots are all invited to spend the holidays with Quatre, something that is convenient for all of us.

Duo's knock alerts me that he's here for his daily showing up at my house. "Duo." I say as he shuffles past me and slips out of his shoes.

"Got any leftovers or did you eat them after I left last night?" He never stops in my front room, but always goes straight for the kitchen, more accurately, the refrigerator. "Aha!" He says, pulling out the Tupperware of Mexican take out leftovers.

"Breakfast?" I ask. He just flashes me one of his grins and wiggles his eyebrows. "Is there anything coming up that I need to put on my calendar?"

"Quat's Christmas party, and Christmas!" Why did I even ask? "Quat's New Years party, but you never go." He's talking to himself now. I had decided that I would attempt to make it to Qautre's New Years Party this year. December 31, Quatre's New Years Party.

I walk to my office to write it down. A _bing_ from the kitchen says that Duo's 'breakfast' is done. I can smell it. "Man! This room is a mess! Mr. Don't-Touch-My Stuff should clean!" Duo says from the doorway, Tupperware in hand. I barely acknowledge him as I write on my calendar.

Every weekend this month will be dedicated to Christmas shopping. Wufei and Relena will be this weekend; the sixth and seventh. Trowa, Quatre, Milliardo and Noin will be the next; the thirteenth and fourteenth. Duo will be on the twentieth. And the twenty first, I'll do my 'wrapping.' The twenty second will be the Preventers Christmas party. And the last day of work for that week.

I look up from my calendar. Duo is unusually quiet. "Something wrong?" I ask, my hand itching for a gun. He looks at me.

"Are large pets allowed here?"

"Yes. Why?" Duo didn't need an animal to take care of. Knowing him, I would be the one who ended up taking care of it. His last fish had been flushed a year ago, and I was the one to do it because he was crying because he never named it. Or fed it. Or paid any attention to it. It only lasted as long as it did because I would feed it the couple of times Duo didn't make it to my apartment before 7:30 and I had to go wake him up.

"I was thinking a pupp-" He started. I wouldn't let him finish.

"Do you even remember your adventures with fish?" I ask. He laughs it off and doesn't answer. End of conversation. I leave the room, him in tail, and go to the front door. It's time to leave and I think I added every set in stone date, everything else could be moved. I'll be damned it Wufei gets to work before me, and gloats all day about it.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Duo asks, shyly. I look up from slipping on my shoes. Since when was Duo shy, and since when did Duo care what I wanted for Christmas? He usually got some stupid gag gift for everyone. I take a quick look around the room to see if there's anything I need. My eyes settle on the Tupperware in Duo's hand.

"New Tupperware. You've lost all of mine at headquarters." I'm satisfied when his cheeks turn pink. But he laughs it off again, and I know to expect nothing more than another gag gift from him this year. He slips his shoes on after handing me the take out to hold, and we leave my apartment.

I drive us both to work, to save energy and fuel, and Duo helps pay for the upkeep of my car and the fuel. Duo has a bike, not a motorcycle, but a bicycle. He rides it around when he needs to go somewhere and can't use my car, but for the most part we manage to be around the same areas at the same times. Duo's saving up for a motorcycle, almost has enough for the down payment.

I realize, once we get to work, that I'm still carrying the damn take out. At least it was one Tupperware and fork I _wouldn't_ lose.

Within ten minutes of sitting at my desk, while looking over a follow up report of my last case, Duo's head popped up from behind my desk.

"What's up?" He had obviously crawled into my office hoping to scare me with his sudden head appearance.

"Follow up." I answered. His head rested perfectly on top of my desk, the rest of his body hidden on the other side.

"I came to deliver this." He said as his head sprouted a body and he stood. The piece of paper fluttered to my desk from where his hand and tossed it. It was a Mission.

"Relena Bodyguard again?" He asked at my face as I read. I didn't have to answer. "Damn. I got put on as your partner."

"Like me that much huh?" I deadpanned. He knew I was teasing.

"Relena! She's no fun. All priss and no hiss!" He had obviously never seen Relena when she was angry. She had some bite in her bark, or hiss in her priss as Duo would put it.

"Never be on the receiving end of one of her slaps then."

"Ooh, burn. Do tell." Duo leaned over the desk at me excitedly.

"Later." I had work to get started on, so did Duo. I told him as much and he left with a swish of his braid.

Around first break, Commander Une had the floor gather round her office doors. She announced that next Monday would be the secret Santa pickings. I pulled the folded up post it out of my pocket and added it to the list under the Bodyguard Partnering with Duo later this week. I would write all my dates on my calendar at home.

Wufei knocked on my office door just before Lunch. He was lucky as I almost clocked out early to meet Duo downtown.

"I received an email stating that Zechs and Noin will be coming on the nineteenth. I'll be away and undercover then. Could you pick them up?"

The nineteenth was a Friday. After I nodded my head, Wufei left. Once again I pulled out the post it and wrote down the date.

Zechs and Noin stayed in a guest house at Relena's estate when they visited. That would mean I would have to take the whole day off at Relena's insistence to stay for supper. Maybe I would enlist Duo to go with me.

Over lunch, Duo kindly pointed out that my house was a disaster to which I kindly pointed out it was only one room.

"Still, Heero. It's worse than anything I could have done."

"I was under the impression that it was _you_ who flung turkey juice all over my walls yesterday."

"I was trying to fold over the hole, and twist it so it wouldn't leak anymore."

"There wasn't anymore to leak."

"Then how'd it get on your walls?"

I never could win in a test of wits against Duo. He always got in the last word.

When I sat at my desk again after coming back from lunch, meeting with Duo and Une about the bodyguard position, I was surprised that the commander hadn't warned me in her office of another Mission. The paper read a drug ring infiltration at the end of next week. Two days to pull it off, no arrests were to be made unless under emergency. I was just scoping out the place and the people for future Missions. Easy enough. Another notch on my post it.

Looking over my post it, I tried to think of things to get people for Christmas. Quatre would want something with meaning. Trowa would want… something practical.

"A new external drive. A terabyte if you could." Trowa said in passing by my office door. Perfect timing as usual. I watched his back as he made his way down the hall to his office before scribbling it on my post it.

Continuing my ponder, I thought of Wufei. Last year he had started courting Sally, no surprise there. It made it different to shop for him though. I had to take into account both of them and decided on finding something relaxing.

Duo was the hardest to buy for which was why I always saved him for last. He never seemed to need anything and the things he wanted were hair ties and new socks. I've struggled year after year to get him something worth while, always ending up defeated and buying him new hair ties.

"Sentimental, terabyte, spa?" I heard Duo's voice over my shoulder. I pulled the paper close to my chest so he wouldn't see anymore. "Didn't know I needed to take my external drive to a spa for sentimental reasons." I heard him snicker and I rolled my eyes.

"What do _you_ want for Christmas?" I asked him.

"My Two front teeth!" He laughs and I turn to face him. "Nah, just some hair ties. You always get the good kind!" I shake my head at him. He doesn't like anything fancy and they're just hair ties and it's the only thing I get him and so I get the more expensive ones. "Come on! I wanna skedaddle! My show starts in two!"

"Minutes?" I exclaim.

"Hours! So hurry! I need to raid your fridge first!" He grabs my jacket off the hook and hands it to me.

"As if that ever takes long." I mumble. I pocket the post it and lock my office behind me. He asks me about the Relena slapping me incident again in the car. I should have known not to say anything.

"I barged in on her changing once. Keep that in mind for later." I warned him.

"Never hear of knocking? Specially on a ladies door?" He sneered.

"I was just outside her door while she changed. I heard a scuffle and thought the worst. Apparently her elbow had gotten stuck in her shirt. Didn't stay that way for long." He burst out laughing then, rubbing a hand over his face in embarrassment.

"Well?" He asked when his laughter clamed down.

"Well what?"

"What color bra? Come on, you know you looked!" He sounded a little more curious than I thought he would be.

Recalling the day, I remembered that she indeed was in her underwear with her arms stuck above her head. "White. With a matching lace thong."

"Ahh! You did look!" He laughed out loud again. "Was – was it good for – you?" He asked through laughter and although I knew what he was getting at, all I could recall was the force of her hand against my face.

"No. She slapped me." Having paused in his laughter to listen to my answer, it returned with renewed force and didn't die down until he wrenched my refrigerator door open after we got home. I leaned over him to grab the last of the juice and spotted a lone Ziploc bag. Straightening up quickly, I looked at Duo and then the sink and the table.

"Damnit Duo! Did you leave my Tupperware at headquarters again?"

Without moving from his hunch into the fridge he answered, "I couldn't find it at break. It's probably in your car stinking it up."

I had grabbed my keys and opened my door when I remembered. I stalked into the kitchen glaring at Duo innocently chewing away at my leftovers. Without even looking up, he knew.

"Brought it in for me didn't cha?" He punctuated his statement with a forkful of rice before I snatched the food out from under him and took it with me to the couch.

"Hey I was eating that!" He followed, leaning over the back of the couch behind me with another fork, before diving his own fork in again. I felt some hit my head.

"Get your own. You're still to blame for the rest being at work. You wanted it and made me carry it."

"Ahh, come on. Share? I'll get you something good for Christmas." He countered.

"I'll share if you tell me something good to get _you_ for Christmas. I'm sick of getting you little things." Maybe there was hope.

He reached his hand in my breast pocket and pulled out the post it quickly. With my hands full of Tupperware I couldn't grab at it for myself. I stood and stepped over the back of the couch but he was already on the other side.

"Blah blah blah…." He read as I chased him around the couch. "Something sentimental for Quatre… awwww!!" He ran into the kitchen and around the table. I left the food on it as I turned around it. "An external drive, terabyte for Trowa. BO-ring!" He ran down the hall. "Relena: personalized… man I don't even care anymore!" He ran over my bed, tossing up pillows in my face as I followed. "Wufei _and _Sally! Whooo… get them a tree so they can-" He stopped when I tugged on his braid. He came down hard before I thought to stop and tumbled over him practically in the doorway to my office. "Heh heh… and for Duo….!" I reached for the paper and grabbed it before he could turn it over and read the many ideas I had come up with. It crumpled in my hand and he grabbed for it. I threw it over his head and into my office before laughing in victory. His face turned smug under me and he pushed me off and stood up.

"What? You couldn't have read it, it was on the back!" He shook his head and pointed in the direction of my throwing. I followed his finger into my office.

"See you in September!" He gloated before turning away from the bottomless pit of my office and towards the living room.

Once he was gone from view I bolted into my office in a frantic search for the crumpled up post it. I spotted some yellow stuck in the middle of five stacks of books about seven feet tall. I was propped up on one hand and my knees as I tentatively reached my hand between the stacks and grabbed at the post it. The paper under the supporting hand slid on top of another paper and I watched as I stopped just short of the stack.

"Heero!" Duo's voice in my ear sent me sailing the last inch into the stacks of books and they toppled on top of me in a tidal wave.

When I came up for air, I had the post it clutched in my hand. I raised it above my head stopped.

_CLEAN YOUR OFFICE_

It read.

"Duo!" I growled. I heard him laugh from the doorway and it faded into the hallway. Then from a distance I heard him speaking.

"Hair ties. New fish. Tupperware. Socks."

"I get the point!" I yelled and settled myself to some 'spring' cleaning this month.

Mission: ABORTED


	3. December 2

A/N – For the love of all things, I had the worst day ever yesterday. Hence the lack of post. I'm SO SORRY and if it weren't for the fact that I've written most of this story in the last few months, I would be in deep shit. I lost control of my body in the morning, slept away the afternoon, was late picking up a friend, popped a tire, and wound up hanging out with the loves of my life for a little comfort.

DISCLAIMER - Still no ownership.

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 2, 201 AC

Time: 8:45 am

Location: HQ, Earth, Sanq Kingdom

Mission: Avoid girl at work

Upon reading the first email in my inbox, I immediately topple my chair over with the force of my stand. My body makes a beeline for a safe place. Duo's office.

"What's up?" He looks up at me in surprise as I whirl around his door and shut it quickly but quietly.

"She's back." I say with my back against his door, pressed up against it for all it's worth.

It takes only those two words and he's in action. He removes himself from his chair and escorts me to it after locking the door. Then he moves to the windows and closes them. Checking any cabinets for strays, he comes back to the desk and sits on it.

"Is she here now?" He asks, completely serious.

"Half day." Is all that I can say. I swallow back my anxiety as it threatens to spill over.

"Email?" I nod my head and swallow again. "I'm going to get you some water." He says as he leaves. I cradle my head in my hands at the image of that email.

_Heero! I've been taken off the case! I'm coming back to work tomorrow, a half day, though if you wanted to get some lunch before my return I wouldn't say no. Pete and Pat's around 12:45? I've thought about you a lot while I was away. I thought it would never end and I wondered if you'd even remember me when I got back. Would you be waiting for me? And then I would think 'He's Heero! Of course he'll remember!' My favorite flowers are daisies! All my love, Tristi_

I moaned into my hands and heard the office door shut again and a drawer open. Duo pulls one of my hands away from my face and places the cup of water in it. I bring it to my lips where the smell reaches my nose.

"Liquor?" I groan into the cup.

"If you could see yourself you'd already be on your third." He answered. "Now drink. I'll see what I can do about directing her off course." He wheeled the chair with me in it aside and got on his knees in front of his computer. I heard typing as I tipped my head back and swallowed whatever Duo had given me in one go.

"Pete and Pats? Ugh, they're fries are so gross! And you sure do remember her, don't ya buddy? Just not the way she wants you to. Daisies? Aren't those the foul smelling ones?"

I listened to him read over my email as I stared into the emptiness of my cup. Duo was my only hope against this girl. She had been transferred for a case, was gone for a wonderful year, and the second she had left I was in Duo's office asking him how I could avoid her when she came back.

"Alright. Here's what I'm going to do." He opened a drawer at his side and pulled out a small bottle of whatever liquor he had given me. "I'm going to respond with a very short clipped email about how you're too busy and that it's been so long that you don't even really know her anymore." He poured a good amount in my cup. "I'll be blunt and harsh and mean and very _you_-ish." I drank it all in one swallow again. It burned as it went down and I coughed in protest for my throat. "Whoa there buddy. No more for you. I'm really gonna get you some water now."

I heard him stand, still staring at my cup in disdain. There was no avoiding her was there? I was a stalker magnet Duo said once. First Relena and then there was Krista for a good couple of months (or bad depending on how you see it) and now Tristi. I reminded Duo in self defense that I was equally interested in Relena back then. I had what others would call a crush. I called it a reason for fighting.

"And you dated Krista, I know." Duo said returning from the water cooler, or what I could only hope was the water cooler. He replaced the cup in my hand with a fresh one and squatted in front of his computer again.

"Be nice." I mumbled. I didn't want to hurt her.

"That's why she keeps crawling back Heero! You're too nice, it gives her hope! Unless…" He trailed off.

"No. Not at all. Ever. No." I glared at him.

"Hey!" He threw up his hands in defeat. "You confused us all with that 'I'll kill you' bullshit against Relena, only to find out you were madly in love with her!" He turned back to the computer screen. "Don't blame me for being confused."

"I wasn't madly in love with her!" I retaliated, spilling some of the water of my sleeve. "She was… important."

If Duo wanted to retort, he didn't. He clicked twice before typing, concentrating on writing her back.

"Tristi. No, no, no. That's too personal. Okay, 'I'm already having lunch with Maxwell, as I do most days'… Still too personal. 'I'm having lunch with Maxwell. Allergies are bad this season'…. Voila!" He stated with a click of the mouse.

"Think it'll work?" I couldn't help but be wary. If I ever thought that Relena had stalker tendencies, then Tristi was a murderer.

"We can only take a long lunch and find out." Duo surmised.

The rest of the morning was relatively quiet, me drinking a few more cups of whatever Duo had hidden away in his desk and neglecting my work, a sign of how horrible a situation this was. Duo made no mind of me in his office, letting me sit in his chair, wheeling me out of the way if necessary and squatting when he needed his computer. Une had pounded on the door once to ask why I was out of commission to which Duo answered, "He gets off watching work being done." She had opened his door in a frenzy only to find Duo actually working and me gazing longingly out the window in a dark corner of his office, full cup in hand. A little scolding, the confiscating of the liquor, and an explanation later had me begging her to drop another case on Tristi.

"Make her go away." I spoke in all seriousness.

"Come on Commander! Look at the poor guy! And daisies? It's so obvious what she's after!" Duo had backed for me. Une had given him a questioning look until an amused grin took over.

"I'll see what I can do, considering this is the first time since your induction that you've called me Commander." We hadn't heard from her since and it was fifteen minutes past our scheduled lunch break.

Duo and I made our way back towards HQ, him pushing me rather forcefully. We were late which led to stares as Heero Yuy is never late. The elevator ride up made me feel sick to my stomach and I instantly regretted having a big lunch. Duo followed me into the hall and I was _just _outside my door when Wufei caught me by surprise for a little 'on time' gloating.

"Seems that today the fates have smiled down upon me and named me the better man."

"Not now 'Fei." Duo said from behind me.

"No. Yuy needs to hear this. It's been a long time coming and it's about time I got credit for all the hard work I do…" I wasn't listening. I was panicking in Duo's general direction, knowing that Tristi would show soon.

Duo was trying to talk Wufei out of gloating at me when it happened. I saw Tristi turn the corner from another hall, obviously looking for me, and spot me over Duo's shoulder. In the time it took her to do a double take, Duo had hoisted me over his shoulder and thrown me into my office. I had never seen him move so fast in all the times we've known each other.

I hit the floor in a heap but immediately got up ignoring the pain and stood behind the opened door. I listened as Tristi bustled up to my fellow comrades and asked about me.

"I could have sworn I just saw Heero!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, he came in la-" Wufei started.

"We just got back but we were late so he rushed off to catch up on his work." Duo interrupted. I heard scuffling about and held my breath when Tristi rested an arm on the door. "He's not in here?"

"No." Trust Duo to be eloquent. Tristi took a few steps into my office. "He wouldn't like you snooping around his office." He told her.

"Why not? _We_ don't have any secrets!" She scoffed and I heard my drawers being opened.

"Tristi!" That one was Wufei. "Insolent woman, leave the man's desk alone!"

"Tch, fine. I'm sure he's probably looking for me anyway!" I waited behind the door for someone say something.

"Heero?" It was Duo. "She's gone, but I think she stole your extra pair of socks." I stepped out from behind the door seeing Duo was the only one left in the vicinity.

"Ow." I supplied at last from my toss into the room. Duo scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that! Had to get you outta there!"

"You could've said, 'Heero move.'" He laughed out loud at my seriousness. "I'm serious."

"She would've heard me man! Too slow. I took the action that needed to be taken and threw your ass out of the line of fire! You _should_ be grateful!" He started walking out of my office, obviously laughing in triumph over having thrown me.

"I am." He stopped and looked back at me. "Thanks Duo." A thumbs up is what I received in return as he continued off.

"Close your door!" I heard him from down the hall.

My doors were closed all afternoon and I breathed a sigh of relief as quitting time came around. Tristi had yet to show at my door. A knock on my door exactly fifteen minutes before I was due to find Duo and go home had me taking action. I was up and crawling out my window onto the scaffolding when my body was thrown from its perch. I looked up to the thrower expecting some sort of enemy infiltration only to find Duo dragging me under my desk.

I barely fit and it was stifling. I felt my gun digging into my thigh when Duo's legs were shoved under with me. My head ended up on one of his thighs while I clutched the other for life.

"Duo! What-" I was cut off as he lifted his leg to hit my head on the underside of the desk.

"Heero? Heero! It's been so lo - where's Heero?" I listened as Tristi came rampaging into my office.

"Dunno." Duo answered her.

"Then what are you doing in here?" She sounded skeptical.

"He's got some files on record that I need for follow up on one of my cases." Good excuse Duo! "He actually might be looking for me right now. It's almost time to go home."

"Then why do you need files for follow up? Why not get them tomorrow?"

"Why put off til tomorrow what you can do today?" I laughed silently under the desk against Duo's legs. He shifted them and suddenly I was being choked. "Why do you like Heero?" I stopped fighting against the noose of his legs to listen.

"He's different." I waited for more.

"That's all?" Duo asked when she didn't elaborate.

"He's gorgeous too. Wouldn't you want someone as gorgeous as him?" Duo's legs relaxed and I took a deep breath. I felt him laugh.

"Heero, Heero, Heero. Heero this and Heero that!" Duo laughed out at her. "Why don't you look around honey?"

"It may not seem like much to you, but I feel very strongly about him! He's different than the other guys here! Dark, mysterious, _dangerous_!" I felt Duo's laugh increase in passion. "Don't laugh at me!" His laughing stopped then. A strange silence fell over the room.

"I'm not. I'm laughing at myself." He said very seriously. "Go find Heero. If you catch him before me, you might snag him for a date at lunch tomorrow." Duo sighed then.

"Duo…?" Tristi asked quietly. "Do you like h-"

"You?" He interrupted. I heard a gasp and then rushed steps leaving the room.

Duo's legs left the confines of the desk and my door closed a few seconds later. I sat under the desk waiting for the all clear and didn't get it. I didn't realize that Duo liked Tristi. I furrowed my brow in concentration as I thought about it all. Duo was very eager to help me with her. Huh. I guess he did like her.

"Uh, Heero. You can come out now." I started as Duo's upside down head fell down from the desk. I crawled out and saw him lying over my desk, propped up on his elbows.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"For what?"

"I didn't realize you liked her." His eyebrows raised in a skeptical kind of look. "You can have her!" I quickly supplied.

"Heero." His arm wrapped around my shoulder. "You can be so dense sometimes. But I'll gladly take her off your hands for you." He then steered me to the window and began stepping out onto the fire escape.

"Duo? The door is that way." I said pointing over my shoulder.

"So is Tristi. And as much as I don't mind dealing with her, I'd rather get you out safely." I nodded and began to follow him after gathering my things. No words were passed between us as we scaled down the building. Once on the ground, Duo turned to me.

"She's being moved again tomorrow. You're home free." He smiled in satisfaction. I wondered how he could smile so freely when the girl he liked was moving. I figured he must've been used to pretending he didn't like her for my sake.

We started walking around the corner to the parking garage.

"HEERO?" I stopped. Duo stopped. We looked at each other then bolted simultaneously for the garage. I laughed freely with Duo at my side as I ran from Tristi's voice.

Home free.

Mission: COMPLETE


	4. December 3

A/N - Augh. Sorry it's sooooo late. Dealing with the after effects of yesterdays day from hell! 2 hours to change a tire and now my brakes are DEAD. Ugh. PS: The dream is totally inspired by the song 'Touch Me' from the musical 'Spring Awakening.' If you can, look it up, it gives the dream a whole different feel, trust me.

DISCLAIMER - See previous disclaimers.

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 3, 201 AC

Time: 5:12 am

Location: HQ, Earth, Sanq Kingdom

Mission: Keep Noin's pregnancy a secret

I was sitting naked in a chair, alone in a dark place. There were no walls, my hands hanging at my sides. I felt a presence. Hands on mine, lifting them above my head. My hands with theirs covered my face, my eyes closed. They slid down my face, dipped to my neck, fluttered over my collarbones, flowed over my chest. I stopped my hands.

"Just try it." A voice said in my ear. The hands carried mine down farther, over my hips and sailing between my thighs. "Just like that." The voice spoke again. Their hands left mine and disappeared into the darkness. My head fell back onto the chair.

"God, that's so nice…" I moaned. "Now there, that's it." Only one thing was missing. "Touch me." I spoke to the hands. They returned teasing down my arms carving up and down my body. Again they cover mine, slowly caressing me deeply, consuming my mind.

"Touch me." The voice repeated at me. I left their hands in control of my body and trailed up their arms, around their neck into deep, long tresses. Those tresses slid from behind them and cascaded around me, darker still than my surroundings.

"That-oh, yeah-now, that's heaven." The other said. I was sent over the edge, rippling in ecstasy in their hands. I took several long and deep breaths, calming my body and mind. I clung to the body the whole time, finally falling asleep.

I woke again in my bed, realizing upon seeing my ceiling that I had been dreaming. I knew that after a dream like that I wouldn't get back to sleep. I had had those dreams before.

Finally, I decided to take a shower, a very warm one to let off a little steam. Touching myself like the hands in my dream, I finished and turned off the shower. The crisp air in my room was refreshing to my warm skin and I suddenly came awake with the drop of my towel. It was starting to get later in the morning, about six.

I started eating a banana until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and quickly threw it out and started some toast. I ate in a new sort of fog that always came over me after those dreams. Auto pilot.

And then there was my computer. I stared at my screen seeing that I had two new messages. One from Duo in response to a funny video I thought he would enjoy. The next from an interesting source. Milliardo and Noin's personal account.

_Heero. We are under the impression that you will be receiving us when we visit in a couple of weeks. As a responsible young adult and a personal friend of ours, we would like to ask a favor of you. Noin has an announcement that she would like to keep a secret until her arrival. We understand that telling even one person will open up possibilities of someone else finding out but we trust you._

_Noin has become pregnant and will be needing assistance in setting up a special announcement party. We both decided on you as the most obvious choice with your skills at keeping up appearances to help us with this. We ask that you keep this information from any prying eyes and keep in touch with us through this personal email to further this discussion. Thanks, Milliardo and Noin._

Pregnant. Noin was pregnant and they needed me to keep it a secret? Why me? Oh, right. Responsible. I was responsible.

I really needed to get my head on straight today. Auto pilot allows for nothing but the final course and I needed the freedom to get from A to B through Z. Especially when Duo was around.

I chuckled to myself at my little joke and immediately felt my tension melt away.

"You're not a very good secret keeper." I jumped at the voice, not having heard Duo come in. "I was only knocking for about ten minutes! And then you're sitting here all zoned out. Sheesh, you'd think Noin was pregnant or something!" He laughed, reiterating that he had indeed read the damned email over my shoulder. Real responsible on my part letting this happen.

"You're not going to tell are you?" I _had_ to ask, knowing his big mouth.

"Maybe, maybe not!" He teased, moving behind a wall of books. I followed.

"I'll cut an inch of hair for every person!"

"Hah! Just try it, Heero. See what happens with miss Tristi _then_!" We emerged into the hallway, him making his beeline for the fridge having not done it before. I watched him in amusement as he disappeared behind the fridge door. My fridge had been refilled with last trip to the grocery store. "Relax. You're staring a hole through the door and I need this door to stay healthy so your food doesn't rot. I wont tell anyone." His head raised over the door then. "Especially not with my hair on the line! Hah hah!" He laughed a little then, starting to cut up the two apples he chose.

He at his apples in an odd way. They were cut into sixteenths. The first apples slices were sprinkled with sugar, the second apples slices were drizzled with chocolate syrup. It was never a wonder to me why he always had so much energy. Sugar and chocolate with the natural sugars from the apples. It was like he suited up for war in energy everyday. It was sickening. He ate them on the way to work in a bowl I had to force him to leave in my car.

"See you!" He said when we parted ways at my office.

My computer alerted me to an email at eleven fifteen and I followed the link. Duo had written me about Noin's pregnancy.

_So what're you gonna do about the party? Need any help?_

To which I responded:

_PLEASE_

I could feel the laughter emanating from his office. I laughed in return and hoped he could feel it back. Another alert.

_Well knowing Noin, she'll want something sophisticated and elegant. Though when you return their email you should ask if it's more for the baby or for them. Like we're throwing a secret baby shower except backwards. Figure out the details because depending on the sex of the kid, the center of the attention, and even the freaking color scheme could mean a totally different party altogether._

Again, my response was short.

_Will do._

"What'd you answer? I'm so hungry that I left before you answered." Duo's voice sounded in my ear. For the second time today, I had missed his entrance and jumped.

"Stop doing that!" I grumbled. He snickered.

"Food?" I nodded in response, feeling hungry myself. I let Duo lead the way and choose the place, my office completely forgotten in the meantime.

"Have you ever had pancakes here?" He asked me after ordering pancakes.

"No. I only eat lunch here." I answered, never fully grasping the breakfast for lunch or dinner thing that Duo did sometimes.

"They make them faces! With eggs and bacon…" And as if to punctuate what he was saying, our waitress plopped his plate down. He pointed at it and turned it towards me. "Just like that!"

Returning to work, I found Wufei at my desk, his feet propped up and looking smug.

"So when were you going to tell everyone else?" He asked. I immediately knew what he was referring to seeing my email was still open to the last one Duo had written me.

"When were you going to tell me you like to snoop around my office while I'm away?" I shot back. "Shit." I rubbed my hands over my face, recoiling into myself as my dream came back and I had to stop myself before I relived it.

"You okay Yuy?" I opened my eyes and Wufei wasn't smug anymore. He was leaned over with concern. My embarrassment rose, anger following closely behind.

"Get out and don't say a word about what you read." He stood without question and I knew he wouldn't say anything. I would apologize to him later when I calmed down.

My seat was still warm when I sat. I let my head fall in disappointment and with a loud _clack_ it hit my keyboard. An alert on my computer sounded and I rolled over the keys to be able to look up at it.

_SENT_

What? I sat bolt upright searching for the source of the alert. In my sent messages was a subjectless message to Une. I opened it, knowing all was lost, and as I guessed it was Duo's email copied.

So Duo, Wufei and Une knew the secret. That wasn't so bad. At least Relena, Trowa and Quatre didn't know.

"You're wrong. I do know." I heard Trowa's voice and looked up in time to see his back pass by my door.

"How do you do that?" I growled after him.

"I know _everything_." I heard his reply.

"Damnit!" I shouted in annoyance. Seven paces later and Duo was here.

"Fei and Tro know huh?" It was more of a statement than a question. I nodded anyway though. "And the commander?" I nodded again. My phone rang.

"Yuy!" It was Une. "When's the party? I invited Relena but she needs to know asap to make time." I slammed the phone into the receiver, hanging up on her, then I lifted it again and slammed it down. That action was repeated several times before Duo grabbed my hand and took the phone from me. I was turned to face him and he pushed me down into my chair leaving his hands on my shoulder.

"Take a breath." He waited for me to. I did. I trusted him. "Now I know this sucks but… just think! It could be so much worse!"

"How?" It was the most pathetic moan I had ever let escape from my mouth.

"Well, Tristi could still be here. Just imagine Heero. 'Make a baby with _me_ Heero!'" He squealed in her voice. I cringed, though whether in amusement or pain I didn't know. "'Touch me Heero! Kiss me! Caress me!'" Definitely in pain. Though he somehow had made it work to his advantage. I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "See?"

"Yeah." I sighed and he let go of my shoulders. "So, I have a job for you." He raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Write my response to Milliardo and Noin telling them that everyone knows."

"Not _everybody_ knows! Quatre doesn't!"

"Yeah he does." Trowa's voice wafted though the door as he passed by with perfect timing. I looked at Duo, who looked back in amazement.

"How does he _do_ that?" He asked me. I shrugged, at a loss for words when it came to Trowa's antics. "Whatever, lets get writing!"

He stood behind me as I pulled up my personal email and began a response. I knew what I needed to type, but he helped with the wording and the pleading.

"Uh huh. Yeah. No, that's too defensive. They get all cheeky when you – hold off using that phrase too much. Maybe a – and now… that - oh, yeah-now that's heaven. Voila!" He drummed a victory beat on the back of my chair. "Well, I gots work to do. See you at quitting!"

"Thanks Duo. It's been a weird day, so I really appreciate it." I told his retreating form.

"Dur! Anytime." He waved and stepped into the hallway, whistling a tune to his office.

_Noin and Milliardo. I would have been only too eager to help you and your party but it seems you've got it wrong about me. Apparently, I'm the worst secret keeper on Earth. Duo accidentally read the email at my house this morning. Wufei snuck around my office and saw an email from Duo about it on my computer. In a fit of rage I accidentally sent that same email to Commander Une who wound up calling Relena about it. Trowa and Quatre know, though I'm not exactly sure how. I'm extremely sorry to have to tell you this news and I hope you're still excited to see everyone when you come around. Everyone seems excited to see you. Sorry again. Sincerely, Heero Yuy._

I read it over one last time when a thought occurred to me. I added it.

_PS: If you read carefully, it seems this would all be Duo's fault._

Mission: FAILED


	5. December 4

A/N - Yeah, so I fell asleep before I could post this yesterday. Also, it's not even close to being edited. I never got around to these chapters. I'll do it later!

DISCLAIMER - Standard. See previous... you know.

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 4, 201 AC

Time: 4:00am

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom, Apartment 002

Mission: Start Bodyguard Mission

_Knock knock knock_.

I waited for Duo to answer to answer the door. I waited ten minutes. Finally I decided that if we wanted to make the transport on time, I would have to enter without permission. It wasn't like I hadn't done it before. I left my shoes on for lack of time and followed the path to his room, making note of how clean his house was.

A couch and a love seat with 3 end tables. A coffee table and a medium sized entertainment center. His movies were all in place, no trash or dishes littered the surfaces.

I made my way down the hall to Duo's room and stepped though the door, not caring to be quiet as he would be awake very soon. He laid asleep under his blankets on his back and possibly naked as I had caught him a few times before.

I sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on his chest to shake him awake. Suddenly his hand gripped mine with such force I couldn't pull away. Another hand grabbed my shirt and pulled me close to his face. His eyes were still closed and I wondered if he was dreaming as I braced myself on each side of his body to pull away. His eyes opened then.

"Heero!" He said and pushed me away. I sat up and fixed my shirt.

"Good morning to you too." He pushed up to his elbows. "Get dressed. We're late." He nodded but stayed under the covers. I got the point quickly enough and got up to wait in the front room.

"Sorry about that Heero. I… I was dreaming." He spoke quietly as he walked out into front room.

"Nightmare?" I knew we all suffered from them. We each had each others keys but knocked for privacy and respect and not on one occasion had Duo crawled into my house in the middle of the night. We would watch an episode or two of some early morning show then we would both fall asleep on the couch for a little company.

Duo laughed a little at my question. Pressing a palm to his forehead he answered, "Not exactly." Even in the yellow light I could see a faint pink tinge to his cheeks.

"Oh." I said before I fully understood. "Oh!" His face showed his discomfort and I decided to try a lighter tone. "We're already late, ten more minutes couldn't hurt. I'm sure Tristi hid a picture of her in my wallet somehwhere…" I pulled my wallet out, sure to keep my eyes on it and only it. A hand strayed into my vision and took a hold of mine that was pulling things out of my wallet. I looked up at Duo.

"It's cool. I'm fine now." He pushed my hands back towards my pockets and led the way out the door.

The transport was waiting and we managed to be only thirteen minutes late. We were taken an hour and a half to the Hotel where we were to switch off with the security there and begin our escort.

The switch off was easy enough, all ID's and authorizations checked out after an all clear and a check on Relena who was still sleeping. I wound up taking over the right side of the door and Duo the left.

I watched him closely. He seemed lethargic, resting his head against the wall and swallowing hard more times than necessary. His arms hung limp at his sides which was odd for him. Usually Duo was at ease with his hands in his pockets or talking animatedly with them.

Keeping my guard up and my voice down I confronted him. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Making my left sweep of the hall, I glanced at his face. His eyes were scrunched closed and his lips were pulled under and pursed. I waited for him to answer, the left side of the hall being checked three times as much as the right. Finally he shook his head.

"I had a fucking wet dream alright." He whispered violently.

"I said you could take your time."

"Like I'm going to jack off with you chillin' in the other room!"

"If it makes you more capable of doing your job, then I don't care." I now completely ignored my right side.

"Can I just be embarrassed without you analyzing it?" He sounded defeated.

"You have no reason to be embarrassed. I had a dream yesterday as well." I felt my hands start to sweat a little at the feelings those thoughts brought. I heard Duo laugh quietly.

"Getting excited about this mission huh?" I looked over at him in disbelief. He seemed a little better now. "I'm sorry Heero. I just wasn't expecting you to be so close. I would have kissed you if you hadn't pulled away."

My heart skipped a beat at that. I was very glad I pulled away against my curiosity then.

"Scared the shit outta me!" He said under his breath. Wait, did he say something about me be excited to see Relena?

"Wait. I didn't have a dream about Relena!" I said a little louder than I meant to. Duo laughed at me.

"Took you long enough!"

"Who's having dreams about me? Shouldn't you two be watching them?" Relena had appeared in the suddenly opened door.

"Good morning Mizz Relena!" Duo was back to his normal self now as he swept his arm under and bowed dramatically.

"Good morning Meestair Maxwell!" Relena joked back with a funny accent and a dramatic bow of her own. Then she looked over to me. "How are you Heero?"

"Fine." I answered truthfully. I took in all of her then, standing in her slinky night dress. "You should get dressed then we'll join you for breakfast." I heard Duo stifle a giggle and I shot him a look behind Relena's retreating form.

"Bet you're gonna have one tonight." He whispered at me once the door was closed.

"I've _never_ had one about Relena." He eyed me skeptically then. "Just… hands." I ground out.

"Kinky." He snickered.

"At least I don't dream about violent kissing!" His grip was so tight and strong when he held my arm that morning.

"Psh! You can't control a wild beast!"

"It hurt!" I defended my pride behind pink cheeks. His whole body tensed. I suspected an intruder in the hall and began checking for anything out of the ordinary.

"Sorry." He mumbled and when my eyes fell on him again, his back was turned.

"There! Now let's get something to eat!" Relena said, appearing in the door again.

Duo and I flanked her down to the private hall we had to dine in. Duo talked with Relena like he always did with his loud laughter and large gestures. He was one of the few Preventers who dared touch her while on duty. He would wrap his arm around her shoulders and rub his fist in her hair to which she would just shake her hair out and laugh. I allowed the behavior because it seemed to make Relena more comfortable and with an arm around her, he could move her quickly if needed.

"So who's having dreams about me?" Relena asked over her coffee once our food had arrived. I glanced at Duo but he didn't look back.

"I was making a joke because I had a weird dream last night. You've got nothing to worry about Princess." Duo smoothed over.

"Oh, well that's no fun! Sometimes a little danger can make these experiences fun!" She leaned close to him and laughed. I felt my anger spark. If she wanted danger, she could have it.

"Sit properly Relena. People can still see you." They both looked at me but my eyes met Duo's. I looked down at my food and began to eat. There was little to no talking the rest of breakfast except for the few interruptions where Relena stood and shook hands with other diplomats who were arriving.

The hall we ate in was going to be refurnished for the meeting. We left well before it closed and went back up to her room with a few other Preventers I didn't recognize shadowing their charges.

Duo stayed close while I scouted around. We had literally switched roles. Usually I hung close to Relena while Duo 'mingled' but without having to say anything we had seen that the other needed this. That's why Duo and I get partnered a lot. He can tell when I need my space and I can tell when to drop it and let him force his smile.

Soon the congregation gathered strength and we made our way back toward the hall. I stayed close to Relena until the press was allowed in then I took another turn at mingling. I saw Duo prop an ankle on his knee and wrap his arm around the back of Relena's chair. She sat properly only leaning into him occasionally to whisper something that I could only assume was statements about the meeting.

I realized that I was doing my job poorly when I pushed a head out of my way to see my charge. Except I wasn't looking at Relena. I was checking up on Duo. Relena was holding his hand in hers and whispering in his ear. He answered with a shake of his head then turned to look for me.

He found me quickly. Our eyes met. He raised an eyebrow in a silent question of safety. I nodded to assure him that everything was safe before frantically making sure that I hadn't lied. It was indeed all clear and I apologized to the man whose head I moved.

The meeting continued, Relena was only observing for today. Tomorrow would conclude the meeting, where Relena would address the audience, and then she would be sent back home with another switch off of security and Duo and I would go home.

These meetings were always too long for their own good. I admired Relena for enduring the length and being responsible enough to actually pay attention and listen. I always played solitaire on my hand held in between all clears. However, this time I was busy walking and sitting and watching and so the time passed rather quickly. I pushed and shoved my way back to Relena and Duo and flanked her up to her room again. The suite had a common room and three private rooms, one of which Relena occupied while she slept, the other for Duo and I to sleep in shifts, and an office in case any of us needed to get work done.

"I've got some references to change in my speech for tomorrow. I'll leave the door open." Relena moved into her office after Duo had cleared it, and Duo and I were left in the common room.

"I'll take first shift." Duo said upon sitting in front of the television. "I got to sleep in a little." He joked.

"I'll say. But I actually have some things I need to do. You go ahead and sleep." I said.

"Seriously man? Okay… since you offered. I'm gonna hit the sack then." He stood up walked into our room.

I don't really have anything to work on, saying that to just let him have some sleep. I just needed some time to myself for myself. I thought about Relena and how close she was to Duo. She never leaned in and whispered about the meetings in my ear. Then again, I was a little short with her today.

Duo didn't seem to mind the closeness either. In fact he instigated it on more than one occasion. I guess I need to work on my social skills some more. Touching, talking, and relaxing were things I needed to exercise more. I hardly let anyone get close to me physically or emotionally.

I looked at the clock. 11:58. Time to wake Duo and switch shifts. I walked to the room, the door was open, and stepped in.

Sitting head in hand and breathing deep, I saw Duo's naked back illuminated on the other side of the bed.

Mission: UNDERWAY


	6. December 5

A/N - Another not so edited chapter. There's this little group of them including tomorrows and I think Sundays that I haven't done my last read through of. I'll try to do that before I post them and I'll fix the mistakes in these asap. ENJOY!

DISCLAIMER - Standard, see previous... you know the routine.

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 5, 201 AC

Time: 12:00am

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom, Winchester Hotel

Mission: End Bodyguard Mission

"Duo?" He whipped around fast, surprise written all over his face. My face flushed. There on his stomach was the evidence of what he was doing.

"Shit!" I saw him try to cover himself with the sheets as I turned around.

"I thought you were sleeping! Sorry." I said quickly before walking out of the room.

"Heero! Wait - I can – shit!" I heard s loud _thud_ and looked behind me to see Duo sprawled on the floor wrapped in the sheet. I moved quickly to him.

"Are you okay?" He shoved his face in his arms and moaned.

"I'm just gonna die here okay?" He groaned out.

"Okay. But first do you want to tell me what's up? You've been acting strange all day. And don't blame it on being horny! I've seen you horny and this is different." He lifted his head up in a flash of movement, propping himself up on his elbows. "You've hit on me while drunk before." I laughed at the memory.

It was last years Christmas party at Quatre's. I had picked up Relena because she lacked a proper ride in my eyes and taken her in with me. Duo had been drinking before I got there and after he just took flight. Shot after shot after shot… He was so completely drunk that he couldn't talk or stand and wound up in the corner of Quatre's kitchen. Relena managed a ride home and I found Duo to carry him up to his room.

"Heeroooo… You's _hic_… strooooonngggg." He said as I laid him on the bed. I took him out of his jacket and he wrapped his arms around my neck. His lifted his lips to my ear. "Toucchhh mee."

I blinked back into reality.

"I'm _such_ a pervert! Ughh!" I barely heard him. I blinked again as my own dream came back at me. _Touch me._ "Uh, Heero. _I'm_ supposed to be the one in distress here!" I shook off the déjà vu feeling and focused back on Duo.

"Just get up Duo." I said with a smile. "And replace the sheets." He laughed but his face was still red.

"You don't mind giving me a couple minutes to shower do you?" I shook my head at him but before I could get up, Relena's bedroom door opened. She had gone to bed while Duo was 'asleep'.

We must have looked like a bunch of fools what with Duo sprawled half naked and wrapped up in a bed sheet and me bent over him in concern. Again she was in a slinky night dress and she looked down on us in anger.

"Whatever is going on between you two, could you please keep it in your room or in your…" Her eyes swept over Duo, "sheets. I need my-"

"Don't say beauty sleep!" Duo spouted out.

"Well I do! And what about watching over me?" Now her eyes settled on me. "I can't believe you, Heero Yuy, of all people would leave me unguarded. It's completely unprofessional of you two to be romping around while I'm asleep. Especially in the hallway outside my door!" Duo and I exchanged a look before starting.

"We were not-"

"You sound like-"

"_Romping_!"

"Wufei!" We said together.

Relena turned a bright shade of pink to which Duo and I exchanged another look.

"You like _Wufei_?" We asked in unison. She huffed a little before turning on her heel and slamming the door in our faces. Another look and the two of us were on our feet and pounding on her door.

"I can't believe you like Wufei!"

"It's not what you think Relena!"

"Man, that sucks! Why didn't you tell us?"

"He was sleeping, woke him up, then he fell!" The door finally reopened to reveal tear streaks down her cheeks.

"Oh Relena." Duo reached out to her. Her crying became frantic until I noticed that she was laughing. I looked over to Duo.

The sheet had fallen when he stood and now he was bearing all to Relena, including an embarrassing wet spot on his stomach.

"Ah, Duo!" I dropped to a kneel to lift the sheet again. Relena must have taken it the wrong way and slammed the door with a scream. The door, in turn hit me on my lower back and I was sent straight toward Duo who, thank goodness, saw it coming and put a hand out to stop me. I fell to my side and Duo opened Relena's door. There was a loud gasp and then a _SMACK_ and Duo came fumbling back out into the hallway before the door was slammed for the last time.

"I told you not to barge in on her!" I yelled.

"She_ really_ fucking slapped me!" I laughed at him, standing and handing him the sheet.

"I told you so!" He wrapped the sheet around him like a toga and I thought he looked like an Ancient Grecian.

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up Heero. I'm gonna take a shower." He grumbled and he stalked back into the room and probably towards our private bathroom.

I laid awake in bed after Duo started his guard. Although he had changed the sheets, all I could think about was that Duo had been… masturbating… maybe in the exact same spot I was in now. I kept going back to those words: _touch me_.

And then I couldn't help myself. The hands, the words, all came tumbling back and I followed the instructions of my fantasy voice. With the lights off it was easy to forget where I was and I imagined hands on my own guiding me to touch _myself_ without hesitation.

And it wasn't hard to sleep after that.

Duo and I switched twice more with little words in between to avoid awkward conversation. I had been a little more careful than Duo with my clean up and left no evidence behind.

Duo woke me bright and early. Again we escorted Relena to breakfast but there were more diplomats to join us this time. Duo didn't get too comfy with Relena and Relena didn't get too comfy with herself. We maintained a proper etiquette to which I was pleased.

Again the hall was refurnished and the press was let in after we had all been seated. I kept with the way we worked yesterday and let Duo stand next to Relena as she made her speech.

I watched her and pride surged through me. She was beautiful and smart and had some ideas that I thought the government could see through peacefully.

Sometimes I wondered how we all managed to make it out of that war alive. And sometimes I wondered how I continued to fight. How we all continued to fight. Hearing Relena at these conferences, whether I agreed with her or not, reinforced my belief that what I was doing was right.

I watched Duo flanking her and almost laughed out loud at the thought of last night. This whole trip has been a little awkward for all of us. Me almost catching Duo twice, Relena liking Wufei, and everyone misunderstood every move I made. Duo caught my glance and nodded my direction. I nodded back in confirmation of all clear, then let the laugh break through. No sound, just silent laughter and I shook my head at Duo.

He broke character and chuckled back. It made my whole trip when Relena stopped mid sentence to look back at him.

"So."

"So?"

"Sooooooo…"

The three of us exchanged guilty looks back in the room after we had packed. I looked from Relena to Duo and back to Relena again, shifting slightly on my feet.

"Can we just…" Relena started finally.

"Pretend nothing happened last night?" Duo finished. They looked at me.

"Please." I said. We simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief and broke out in laughter at it. We cleared the room one last time before handing over Relena to her transport security. Then Duo and I made our way to our transport and began our trip home.

"You never told me what _you_ dream about." I said to Duo with a grin. He glared back.

"I thought we were pretending it didn't happen." He countered.

"Just curious." I looked out the window. I watched as we rode along a stretch of road in a rural area. Field after field flew by and I watched the space in between the rows of bushes and tree's.

"Hardcore, slamming up against the wall, bite marks, bruises and broken beds kind of sex." I looked over at Duo whose head was tilted back on the seat. "And sometimes I think of quiet, neck stroking, back rubbing, beat of my heart kind of love." He tilted his head to look at me. "Both are required to be my lover." We both chuckled a little though I knew he wasn't lying.

Funny, I couldn't picture Tristi in either situation.

"So, hands huh?" He teased. I reached my hand out to his shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"Bodiless hands, and voices, and… hair." I lowered my voice to what I thought was a sexy tone. "All are required to be _my_ lover." Duo's mouth hung open. He blinked exactly three times before closing it with a snap.

"You can buy all of those at a costume shop." He grabbed my hand off his shoulder and threw it back at me. "I'll be sure to get them for you for Christmas."

"I look forward to it."

And though I knew he was joking, I began to find myself seriously curious about Christmas. Tomorrow was the start of my Christmas shopping, and I still had no idea what to get certain people. Duo included.

"You think I'm kidding don't you?" I snapped my head to Duo who had turned away shaking his head.

"You'd better be. I thought we were pretending it didn't happen?" He just laughed and shook his head some more.

And suddenly, I wasn't so sure he was joking.

Mission: COMPLETE


	7. December 6

A/N - Seriously? I almost got arrested yesterday. Yeah. It's actually a really funny story involving knife throwing. Dec 7 and 8 will both be posted tomorrow (Dec 8) as my computer decided to give me hell. Sorry for these delays.

DISCLAIMER - The usual.

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 6, 201 AC

Time: 1:43pm

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom

Mission: Christmas shopping: Wufei/Sally

Waking up late on a Saturday morning was always nice. But waking up late on a Saturday morning knowing that the rest of your day will be spent stalking around strip malls and department stores looking for a nice gift for Wufei and Sally is more depressing than people let on.

I had 'something relaxing' to go on. That's it. That's all. Good going Heero.

I tried the candle stores first. The second I walked in each and every one of them, I was overloaded with a mixture of heavy scents that shouldn't belong together. I learned to suck in the last ounce of fresh air and I searched for some aromatherapy kits or something. Everything came up short of my expectations though.

Still I persevered, searching the electronic stores next. I held onto my 'relaxing' idea but looked in the other departments as well. Some massagers which I'm sure either of them could do on their own. I blushed when I stumbled into the eighteen or older section of some unnamed store and found myself facing a wall of various vibrating… things.

That was when I gave up. My stomach rumbled and my feet ached so when I saw a fast food joint on the way home, I stopped.

The line was outlined by a railing, to keep people under control I guessed. How hard could it be to stay in a line? There was a younger kid at the register, probably sixteen or seventeen, and better looking than one would expect from a burger joint ringer. His eyes met mine and he asked me my order. They were green.

"A number 2 please." I gave him my order.

"What kind of drink?"

"The fountain is over there," I pointed near the seating. "That information is unnecessary."

"Hah! Right. Sorry, used to doing the drive through. What size?" I tilted my head to the side.

"Normal size?" I asked, confused.

"Fries, onion rings or yogurt?"

"Yogurt? Why would yog-"

"Trying to be healthy." He answered before I finished. I guess he was asked that a lot.

"Fries I guess." Somewhere behind me someone mumbled for me to hurry. I wanted to turn around and tell them that the kid was asking me the kind of questions that Duo had always annoyed me with when joking.

"For here or to g-" It was my turn to interrupt him.

"I don't care! I _don't_ care! I. Don't. Care!" I reiterated several times to be sure he understood. I watched his face flush and heard a nearly inaudible mumble of 'sorry.'

"That'll be six forty seven." I never understood the random change in totals. Why not make it so that it always came out even. Instead I'm left fishing through my pockets for forty seven cents and end up with a wad of lint.

I pull out another dollar instead and decide to put my change in the little donation box.

I fill up the cup he gave me with water and ice, not in that order, and wait for my number to be called. I glance at the number on my receipt several times, never memorizing it, only to glance at it again when a number is called. Finally my food arrives on a tray.

I guess I'll sit and eat.

My table was in clear view of the line and the registers but I ignored any of the customers. Of course, they had given me onion rings.

I had the strange feeling that someone was watching me and I glanced up to see the register kid watching me eat. I glared back and he quickly looked away. An woman and her young son walked into my view, the little blonde boy probably about two and a half years old. I watched him wander while his mom took their order, taking suspiciously less time than my own order took. The boy glanced at me and I found it in myself to smile at him. He smiled back, the same innocent but mischievous kind of smile Duo gets when he knows he's won, but still wandered.

_Gong!_ My eyes widened as the little boy walked straight into the railing of the line and fell straight back. The mother quickly dipped to see to her son, and I looked away from them guiltily, catching the eye of the cashier. He was trying not to laugh out loud, and look concerned at the same time. We shared a common discomfort over hidden emotion. The mother then picked the child up and sat him on the register counter to rub his back.

Massage. Relax.

And there it hit me like a ton of bricks. A spa! I inhaled the rest of my food, some of it literally, in my haste. I shoved the garbage into the garbage can and waved a goodbye at the little boy.

"Take care of your head kid." I said walking out the door.

"Excuse me?!" I didn't think it was for me so I kept for my car. "Wait!" Curiosity killed the cat. I turned and looked.

Randy or Edward or Conrad. I know his name had an A in it. I remember the A from the nametag hanging off his shirt. The cashier came rushing toward me.

"What's… your name?" He asked.

"Why do you need to know?" I countered. He blushed and found the ground interesting.

"Just… was wondering… would want…?"

"I can't hear you if you mumble." I said matter-of-factly. He looked up at me quickly. "I have something I need to do, so could you hurry?"

And hurry he did. It wasn't until he was pulling away that I realized he had actually kissed me. A stranger! I stared at him in disbelief.

"When are we ever gonna see each other again? Thought I'd take a chance, raging hormones and all." He laughed nervously then and I couldn't help but think it sounded like something Duo would say.

I closed my eyes at the thought and chuckled. When I opened them, James or Jasper or Michael was already jogging back to the doors.

"Heero!" I called after him. He turned. "My name is Heero!" He smiled hugely and waved before heading back in. I unlocked my car and got inside.

It was there, at my steering wheel, that I realized exactly what had just occurred. I jumped when my phone buzzed in my pants. The buzzing reminded me of the vibrating wall, which reminded me of why I was leaving in the first place.

"Heero." I answered my phone.

"Let me guess. You kissed a boy." Trowa's voice sounded. I took the phone away from my ear and stared at it for a whole minute before putting it back.

"_How_?" I growled. There was a knock on my passenger side window. I looked over. It was Trowa. He got in my car when I unlocked it, getting comfortable and leading me to believe our conversation would be on the long side.

"Why are you spying on me?" I asked.

"Not. Daily jog."

"And you just happen to run by _right_ as I'm kissed by a total _stranger_!"

"Yes." I shook my head at him. "Take me with home. We'll talk." I started my drive home then. He didn't speak for the first five minutes and the drive was only about fifteen minutes long. "Wasn't he a little young?"

"Wasn't my idea." I defended.

"Still." Another couple minutes of silence.

"What are you looking for?" I finally asked, sensing that he was indeed looking for some sort of confession from me.

"How was it?" He tilted his head toward his window and looked at me with a face only Quatre could have taught him.

"It was- What do you mean? It was a kiss!" I wasn't annoyed so much as I was embarrassed by him catching me.

"Did you enjoy it? Was it any good?"

"It was the same as every other kiss I've ever had. A little short, but not anything special." I answered truthfully. His place came into view as I drove up and stopped.

"So you liked it." He concluded with a nod of his head. He opened the door to step out, leaving me frazzled by his questioning. The door slammed closed before I could say anything and there was nothing for me to do but drive home.

Duo was stationed on the floor in front of my door when I arrived. He was cross legged, and elbow on one knee, hand holding his head. He looked contemplative.

With a step he heard me and swung his head to stare at me. I raised my eyebrows at him in question of what he was thinking. He continued to stare as if seeing me for the first time. It lasted long enough to make me uncomfortable and I shifted on my feet.

"Duo...?"

His mouth twitched and a small smile started playing on his lips. The smile grew into a full blown grin before dying quickly with a look of sadness.

"Thought we could do dinner or something." He finally said, his normalcy returning.

"I just ate, but I could eat again if you really want to." I said. "You alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just spacing out." We both walked into my apartment, shoes coming off in stride.

"Alright." I was still suspicious of that look he had given, but decided to drop it for times sake. "Let me look something up then we can figure out what to do for dinner. Maybe by then I'll be hungrier." He nodded before plopping on my couch. I could hear the TV all the way to my office but the maze of books stopped the noise at my desk.

I pulled up my search engine and typed in 'Chinese Spa' knowing Wufei would enjoy the culture reference and Sally would enjoy the Spa. I followed links with names like 'China Wall Spa' and 'Bamboo River' all sounding okay but leading me to personal ad sites.

_Red Dragon Spa_

This was the one. I followed the link to a virtual tour of the retreat. The prices weren't off the charts but still high enough to tell me that they should be worth it. I took the tour, checked out the references of their workers, looked at their different features and then looked at package deals.

"Chinese spa? Good idea!" I heard Duo behind me. I'm not sure when I stopped hearing him sneak up on me. Either he's gotten better or I've gotten worse.

"You really think so?" I was self conscious.

"Better than my gift for them!" He laughed.

"Duo. I'm sure you'll get them something… interesting." The images of a santa elf costume and a reindeer costume come to mind. "What are you getting them anyway?"

"Uh uh! I'm not telling!" He crossed his arms and shook his head.

"You know my gift! Tell me yours!" He shakes his head some more. "Fine." I say in defeat. I click to purchase a package deal. My memorized credit card number is typed in and I click the 'purchase' button.

A page comes up saying that the paperwork will be sent in two to four business days and that it should only take five business days to arrive. That made Saturday the day for it to arrive. The verification form was next.

"Hey Duo."

"Hey Heero."

"What are you doing tomorrow?" I said, now looking up my email. I was sending my email to Relena when he finally answered.

"Not much. Why?" His voice was tight. I looked back at him.

"I'll be shopping for Relena tomorrow. Want to come along?"

"Why?" He looked like a deer in the headlights.

"Are you sure you're okay Duo?" I asked and stood.

"Fine, fine." He said too quickly. I stepped toward him and he stepped back. "Sure I'll go!" He swallowed and smiled. "Where are we going?"

I turned away from him to close down my computer. "Don't know yet."

I guess he was still feeling awkward after the mission yesterday. It was strange how distant I felt from it. I didn't really think anything of it anymore. Like sleeping on it had made it all a dream.

"So how about that dinner? I was thinking Chinese." Duo's voice broke me out of my thoughts and I registered immediately that he had moved into the hall.

"Chinese sounds-" Shit! "Shit!" I ran back to my computer, slipping a little on the paper that littered my floor.

"What? What?" Duo's voice asked.

"I didn't print the verification form!" I shouted, booting up my computer. Duo shuffled in and held up a paper.

"You mean this thing?"

"...!" I was standing here the whole time!

"You can print directly from the printer."

"But-" I never saw him near the printer. He rolled his eyes at me and led me out of my office by an arm wrapped around my shoulder.

"Maybe Chinese isn't the way to go man. How about some Mickey D's?" I blinked. How did he…? No. He couldn't know. I gave him a sideways glare and swiped the verification form out of his hand.

I remembered then, thinking that the kid (Arthur, Isaac, Matt?) had reminded me of Duo. I laughed a little then.

"What?" Duo asked at my laughter.

"Mc. Donald's sounds," I would have to tell Duo, "entertaining."

Mission: COMPLETE


	8. December 7

A/N - Aha! An internet connection that isn't a douchebag!

DISCLAIMER - Do I really need to repeat myself?

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 7, 201 AC

Time: 10:26am

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom. Apartment 001

Mission: Christmas shopping: Relena

"Come on Relena."

"No. It's no fun knowing what you're getting me for Christmas."

I sighed. "Please."

"No. I've known what you were going to get me for the last three years Heero. I'm sick of it! I want a little surprise in my life!" Right. She wanted some _danger._ "What was that?" Had I said that out loud?

"Nothing. Fine. I'll figure it out myself. But if it's not up to your standards, you have no one to blame but yourself." I rubbed my temples with a hand.

"Thank you." I nodded into the vid screen and hung up. This whole shopping thing got old really fast. I recall thinking the same thing last year but somehow it always slipped my mind come Christmas time again.

None of us were really religious anyway. We mostly just celebrated Christmas for the trees, music, lights and gifts. I was relatively sure that Trowa wanted nothing to do with religion, not out of any bias, but because he had yet to need or find it. Quatre just followed along I supposed, not turned off from the idea but too busy to seek any further than a few fleeting thoughts. Wufei had his own ideologies to follow and I didn't know Sally enough to know her preferences. Now Duo was obvious. He may have worn a collar and a cross, but he believed in death. Whether he believed in life after death… well I like to think he does with his whole 'Shinigami' routine. The God of Death is alive after death after all, isn't he? And I, well I was just plain confused and grateful to be alive. Whether that meant that some huge man in the sky ran his finger over Wing Zero, or whether I blessed with life for being willing to sacrifice mine, or I still had a little farther to go before reaching a nirvana, I didn't know. Maybe a little of all three? Maybe just fate. Either way, I was happy with my lack of answer or belief in any one thing and that probably wasn't going to change anytime soon.

My shoulders hit the cushions as I lay back on my couch. Something poked my kidney and I winced, lifting up to figure out what it was. A lollipop stick? I laughed to myself thinking it must have been Duo because I don't ever eat lollipops.

My arm was thrown over my brow as I recalled my Christmas list. 'Something Personalized.' My head shook under my arm as I groaned. That could be anything. An engraved picture frame, a (god forbid) scrapbook, some stationary. They all sounded predictable and boring.

With my eyes closed, I wandered through a few more ideas, the light around me seeming to get dimmer. I thought it was odd that the light would fade, considering it was still morning. I felt a chill before I heard the door close. Even in the dark I could tell it was Duo, but something was different. His face was serious, his eyes were alight, his body was naked but covered in various shadows.

He moved toward me, the shadows dancing over him but hugging close to the private parts of his body. I could only stare as words failed me. Actually, as I thought about it, I had nothing to say. The cushions sank as he sat at my waist and watched me watch him. I smiled. He smiled back. Not his usual grin, but neither was it sad.

Another chill took over my body and Duo procured a blanket out of seemingly nowhere that was quickly laid over my shivering form. I giggled a little then, and Duo just smiled at me still. I wondered why he didn't laugh at my giggle. I wondered why I had giggled in the first place. I couldn't ever recall giggling before. In fact, just who was I anyway?

Duo leaned over then and pushed me closer to the back of the couch. His legs seemed impossibly longer than mine as he wrapped my full torso in one arm. I had to crane my neck to lay my head on his shoulder. The blanket couldn't ward off the cold and I shook uncontrollably in his arms. He cradled my body tighter and tighter, pulled the blankets closer to my body.

All I knew was cold and I looked at him through sensitive eyes, almost as if I had never used them before. A deep breath and a rumble in my chest as I wailed in protest to the cold. My whole length fit along his arm as he 'shushed' me and rubbed warmth into me. I continued to wail and he pulled me closer still, blinding me in the shadow of his body, stifling me with the pressure of his skin pressed up against my face.

And then I was blinded by the light. I sucked in a deep breath when my eyes shot open. I immediately noticed my room was fully lit, and the Duo that was standing at the end of my couch was fully clothed. My eyes didn't hurt, my body was very warm, and I was as tall as I had been before-

"You were sleeping when I came in." Duo spoke. He looked angry.

"Sorry. You should've woken me." I sat up to my elbows.

"You were _out_! I knocked and everything. Figured you needed your sleep." His face faded into relief. "You kind of had a fit there, everything okay in the dream world?"

"I… well I'm not sure." I wondered at my dream for a minute, recalling the way his eyes shone in the dark, how my body shrank in his arms, the cold. "It was so weird. I think… I think I was a child!"

"What? Like the one you kissed!?" I barely heard him in my thoughts.

"You were here. You held me. I was cold and the tighter you held me, the smaller I got." My head shook at that. That wasn't right. "No. Not smaller, younger."

"Weird." His voice was so clipped.

"You…" I looked at him, really taking him in for the first time since I woke. He was angry again. "Are you alright?"

He shook his head. "Yeah! Peachy! You had a sleeping fit! I didn't know what to do! You wouldn't wake up until I turned on the lights!" His voice cracked in there several times.

"I don't remember turning off the lights." The lights had faded in my dream!

"I did when I saw you were sleeping! Jeez Heero, I've never heard you make a noise like that before!" My eyes widened. "Like 'Auhhhhhhhhh!'" And though his imitation was poor, I knew he was talking about my wailing.

"It was so vivid, so strange. Sorry I freaked you out." I breathed. I sat up then, letting one leg fall off the couch. Duo turned away, pained. Now I felt the heat of my body become uncomfortable and I started taking off my shirt. Duo's hand went over his eyes and the other was put up in front of me.

"Stop." He started out of the room then, leaving me confused. I shifted to stand and follow, stopping mid lean.

Oh. No wonder he had left. I _was_ incredibly warm, but my dream had been so cold! I had been a child! Could a child even harness these kinds of feelings? My embarrassment flared up, making me even hotter than I was already. Who had wet dreams like that? Who got caught having these dreams twice? Though the first dream I had told him about, it was still humiliating.

"Here." Duo said sending a cup of water into my view. "Let me know when you're ready. I'll be outside." I drank while he talked, savoring the way the cold water felt in the core of my body.

"Wait." I called after him. "Let me just, I don't know, collect myself." I set the cup down and picked up the shirt to put on. There was nothing like humiliation to bring a man down. I felt the heat melt away with every other drink of the ice water and was back to myself within five minutes.

Five silent minutes. Five minutes that Duo stared at the wall.

"Duo? Are you alright?" I tentatively asked him. He turned to look at me, angry and hurt and scared. "It was just a dream. I'm okay now." I reassured.

In a quick step his arm was hooked around my neck, the other hanging at his side while he rested his head rested on my shoulder. It was so familiar. Exactly the same as the dream. I smiled.

"Thought something was wrong with you. Thought you were hurting and you wouldn't wake up! I thought you were-" My smile faltered at his cutoff and I didn't need him to finish to understand. My arms wrapped around him, this time pulling him close.

"I'm ready." I rubbed his back up and down. "We can go now. I don't know what I'm getting her though." He broke away from me. I didn't resist.

"Why should you? What do you get the person who has everything?" He mumbled in attempt to be light hearted.

"You get them something personalized." The smugness in my voice was laughed at.

"Hopefully not a scrap book!" I shook my head in disgust at the thought. It wasn't so much that I hated scrap books; it was more that I didn't want to make one. My creativity just wasn't up to par in the paper cutting division.

As we headed out the door I lead the way but when I felt something pull on my shirt, I thought I might have gotten caught on the door knob. When I looked back it was Duo very gingerly hanging on to a centimeter of my shirt. He was looking away as if nothing was going on and I let it slide just this once.

"So where are we headed?" It seemed like he was getting back to his normal self.

"A book store."

"Ah, come on! A book? She's probably read it already!" He argued. He had a point, but I wasn't looking for just any book.

He let go of my shirt in the car and didn't grab it again until we were safely hidden behind a row of bookshelves. He kept walking in a different direction than me and twisting my shirt in the process. It was annoying but I didn't say anything.

"What exactly are you looking for? I haven't seen anything anywhere near Relena's taste." He tugged on my shirt a bit, leading me in the opposite direction of where I was going.

"I don't think I'm going to find it here. This store is too commercial." I answered. In truth, I wondered if I should go to a craft store. I had seen some at one before.

"So are you going to tell me what we're looking for yet? I can't really help much if I'm aimlessly looking at the same thing!" Apparently Duo didn't feel the need to be attached to me in the smaller book store. It was a cozy little place, probably family owned or something.

"Leather. Find me a leather bound journal. Not just a plain one but one with character. If you see more than one, point them out." He nodded once and we spread out. I started with the front of the store, and Duo the back, making our way towards the middle. I was halfway through the graphic novel section when I heard Duo call my name.

"These are perfect!" I nearly shouted in the small room. I reached out and took the biggest journal in my hand. It was dark brown leather, aged, with slightly yellowed pages. Duo had found the smallest one of course and was flipping through the frayed edged pages. I nodded at him when he looked to me for confirmation then looked back at the shelf. We both grabbed for the same journal then, hitting hands and laughing quietly.

He pulled a journal slightly bigger than his then and I pulled one slightly smaller than mine. Four journals. A large, a medium, a small and a pocket sized, all bound in various leathers just waiting to be personalized. This was it. I took the journals to the counter and bought them.

On the way out of the little shop, Duo grabbed onto my shirt again. I rolled my eyes this time and asked him about it.

"What is this?" I gestured towards where he was connected to me. He mumbled incoherently and let go. I rolled my eyes again and put his hand back. "Don't worry. Let's just go." I started walking feeling the now familiar pull of fabric against my skin.

Again we drove around until I remembered that the store I was looking for was in the mall.

I cringed, thinking I had to walk through that hell hole, especially with Duo latched onto me. The latch was fine by me, but I knew that people would stare. And the staring wasn't even the worst thing. It was literally the people. Far too many of them in one place, but it was where I had to go, so I went.

I should have known that Duo had more tact than I would give him credit for. He stayed close but not latched on and in front of me so as to deter oncoming bodies. The woman at the counter of 'Memory', the store where I would be getting the journals etched, gave me a book to look at for ideas and a form to fill in.

Duo found a border that was pretty while I chose the font and the area for her name to be etched in gold on the journals.

"What about the pages? Gonna leave them blank?" Duo asked me before I could order. I thought about it. The pages were blank in each journal, no lines for guidance.

"Good idea." I told him. I flipped through the book a little more before deciding that I should have her Peacecraft family crest stamped at the top right corner of every page. I wrote it down and paper clipped a picture of her crest onto the form. I'm sure they could find it easily online if they needed. My home and cell phone numbers were added to the bottom before I had Duo check it over, and then I signed.

Duo and I left then and I nearly ran back to my car.

"So I'll pick up those on Saturday which is when I'm supposed to receive the spa information." I spoke to no one in particular. Duo played with the radio controls, nodding in my direction. I realized then how quiet he had been since the McDonalds trip last night.

Tight spoken and clipped words all night and day. His lack of reaction when I told him about the kiss. The way he clung to me. And not just me, but Relena the other day. I wondered what was wrong, getting honked at for not paying attention to the light. I drove on, smiling when I figured it out.

"I'm not going anywhere Duo." His hand paused on the dial. "I'm not sure what you're worried about but I'm happy here. I wouldn't change this for anything."

"Tch." He laughed out and shook his head at me.

After spending a few minutes in my dream, most of the day latched onto me, helping me choose Relena's gift, and speaking in mostly neutral tones all day, that one little 'tch' of his closed me off.

I walked away from him in the lobby of our building, hurt and confused and wondering if he would come by my apartment tomorrow.


	9. December 8

A/N - WHOA I'm behind! Ack! Send any comments concerning my belated updates to 'duoloopos dad' who is the internet dictator of the house.

DISCLAIMER - I wouldn't want to own it. Too many fan girls. Too much pressure! (Okay maybe I would want to own it.... but I don't)

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 8, 201AC

Time: 11:30am

Location: HQ, Earth, Sanq Kingdom.

Mission: Secret Santa Pickings

"I hope I get someone easy to please." Duo's words reminded me that the drawings for Secret Santa's were today. We were both in the hall at Headquarters, me just passing through.

Duo didn't show up at my apartment that morning and hadn't tried to talk to me all day. Apparently he understood that I was angry at him.

But why was I angry at him? I wasn't so sure I knew anymore. His 'heartless' response to my reassurances? His lack of response to the strangers kiss? Maybe it wasn't anything he had actually done. I could be jealous that he stayed older while I grew younger in my dream. Whatever the reason, I needed to apologize.

These last few days have gone a little left. What with our bodyguard mission and with Duo acting weird, and with my mood swings. I felt like I was loosing my grip on life.

I sat at my desk and shook my head as if to shake off the weirdness of the last couple of days. It didn't work and I didn't know what would except a good talking to with Duo.

"So what are we doing for lunch?" I looked up at the voice of Wufei.

"Huh?" When had I planned lunch with Wufei?

"Duo said you wanted to have lunch with me today." I watched him as he looked at his watch. Duo had planned this? His eyes rolled at my silence. "So you wouldn't be alone, fool." I blushed, to which he lifted an eyebrow.

"Okay." I cleared my throat and calmed my heart. "How about Fong Ting Chen's?" Wufei's eyebrow lowered into a glare.

"Just because I'm Chinese doesn't mean I only eat Chinese food. I was actually in the mood for a good hot dog." Wufei never ceased to surprise me.

The drawing for Secret Santa's wasn't until after the lunch break and we broke early so we wouldn't be late coming in. Wufei made some comment about his toe being the first over the line to which I closed the car door without telling him that his coat was hanging out.

"Injustice!" Wufei yelled at me when we got to the restaurant. "How dare you close the door on my jacket!" I ignored him as he continued to rant. He said something about… something but to be completely honest, I wasn't listening. I concentrated on anything _but_ Wufei on the way in.

"…and Duo anyway?" I became alert when I heard Duo's name in his conversation. "You! You haven't listened to a word I've said have you?" I shook my head at him, not even bothering to look sheepish. He sighed. "What happened with you and Duo anyway? One day you're best friends and the next you're acting like…" Wufei tilted his head quizzically. "Not best friends! What did that moron do?"

"Why does he have to be the moron?" I defended.

"Well he was wasn't he?" His look was expectant.

"That's not the point. Our last mission left off a little awkwardly." That was an understatement if I'd ever said one. If I recall, we wound up telling our sex fantasies on the way home. My body tensed, my face flared and our number were called. Wufei got up to get our food while I tried my best to pretend that nothing had happened. I immediately grabbed my food when it arrived, stuffing my mouth to distract my brain.

"Oh I see! He toed to line!" Wufei drew a line of ketchup with his fry and stabbed at it to punctuate his point. I looked up at him in a flurry, possibly with a string of cheese dangling off my lip. I wiped at it, mouth too full to say no, while shaking my head furiously. He finally ate the fry. "Too close for comfort?" He walked his fingers across the table at me. I leaned back in my chair, swallowing so fast it hurt.

"Nothing like _that_! Just, I don't know how to put it. We both had…" I struggled for the right words to explain.

"A blonde moment?" Wufei finished. I stared at him in disbelief. He shrugged.

"Okay… we'll go with that." I couldn't believe I was using such a term to explain what had happened! "We both decided to leave it behind, but it's been difficult." I winced at how vague it was. Wufei must have found it vague as well because it took him the rest of his fries and a whole corn dog to continue.

"I don't see what the problem is." He threw his napkin on his plate. "Seems just talking with him, _with_ him, not _at_ him, would ease some tension." It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Duh." I rested my chin on my fist, my eyes swiveling to Wufei when he laughed.

"There's the Duo spirit! Keep it up and it should be a fairly easy conversation." He stood and I followed, laughing to myself at how true his statement was. 'Duo spirit' huh? I felt pretty sure that I could channel Duo when I talked to him.

But for the 'at him' statement, I closed the car door on his jacket again.

"Weakling! Fight like man! Face to face next time!" Wufei was whining behind me when we returned to HQ. The floor was surrounding our Commander near the water coolers and I saw that some coworkers were lined up to draw from a bowl.

Some people were only too happy to be a Secret Santa. I was not one of them but I lined up anyway. Soon we were moving like cattle towards the ominous bowl of names until I came upon it with a wary eye. I reached in, grabbed the nearest piece of paper and shuffled out of the way and through the crowd. When I reached a safe spot just outside Duo's office I opened it.

And gaped at the name.

It was a blessing in disguise as it would be the perfect ice breaker for me to talk to Duo, but it was still my most horrific nightmare. I searched for Duo, making my way slowly toward him when I found him. When I reached a few feet and he was still talking with a group I stopped and waited.

He really didn't know how to shut up and soon I was inching toward him. The girls in the group giggled when they saw my 'stealthy' approach. I shook my head behind Duo at them just in time for Duo to turn and catch me. His face was strangely neutral and I closed the gap.

"So you'll never guess who I got." My voice was laced with uncertainty but I gained courage when his lips twitched upward.

"Who?" He was being as careful as I was.

"Tristi." He smiled widely at my discomfort.

"You wanna trade?" He offered.

"Depends? Who did you get?" Trowa's tall form leaned in from our side.

"He got me." He spoke, not even sparing us a glance as he went back to his own conversation as if there were no interruptions.

My eyes travelled back to Duo who had squeezed his paper in his hand. "How does he _do_ that?" He growled before throwing the paper at Trowa who conveniently ducked to tie his shoe. Duo threw up his hands in frustration before reaching to throttle Trowa. I grabbed his arm.

"If he dodged the paper, just think what he'll do to you!" Duo, his arm still being held by my hand, turned toward me.

"Probably pick me up and throw me pretending to scratch his shoulder or something." He grumbled finally meeting my eyes. I dropped his arm quickly, looking away from the girlish giggles in the background.

"I'll see you later." I ground out before walking away again.

Damnit, damnit damnit! Was my mantra for the rest of the day. It was _Duo_ for Gods sake! Yeah, Heero, your best friend, remember? I waved at the air in front of my face thinking that I needed a little inspiration. I had the perfect opportunity, but Trowa had unknowingly killed it.

My head was on the steering wheel the second I got in my car that night. I lifted it and let it drop, repeating the action several times as my horn honked in rhythm. I finally gathered enough wit to drive, barely seeing the lanes as I made my way home.

It was when I saw the golden arches that I decided to stop. A little inspiration. I stepped out of my car without a jacket, taking no notice of the cold. A step was taken, then another, and another as I made my way through the parking lot.

"When are we ever gonna see each other again?" I heard and froze. I looked to the two figures standing a few cars away. The kid who had kissed me smiled before leaning in and kissing the other figure standing with him. I took a step back to hide behind the car I was next to. The other turned and ran but my eyes followed Harry, Ronald, whatever! He walked triumphantly towards the building stopping just short of the doors. Another few figures ghosted out of the shadows and I listened.

"Fuck yeah, Dan! That's so fucking funny!" They moved away from the door.

"I'll give you twenty for the next one!"

"Offer him a service!"

Inspiration? Spontaneity? And I had thought that the stupid little shit sounded like Duo? I closed my eyes and my stomach dropped as I realized I had been a game to these kids. I had completely fallen for it, and was coming back for more. The kid was right to think we'd never see each other again because there was no way in hell that I would come back. He had disturbed the peace in my soul without permission. I started to turn back to my car.

"Hey. Hey! You're crazy gorgeous!" I turned back in fury to stop the kid from fooling someone else.

And there he was. Duo. He was walking toward me, completely ignoring 'Dan' yelling to him. They passed each other and I stared in amusement as Duo stuck out his foot and hooked the kid around the ankle, toppling him. He spun to look at the damage with an overly innocent "Oh I'm sorry!" and clipped the kid on the head with his elbow. The kid hit the pavement on all fours and rubbed at his head.

"Hey, fucking watch it asshole!" Dan spat up at Duo. Duo ignored him and 'tripped' over him, kicking him over in the stomach.

"You should be more careful there." Duo glared down at the kid. "One of these times you're gonna catch a homophobe."

"Like you!?" I watched in amazement as the kid looked for his friends. "You got a problem with it dickhead?"

"Maybe." He leaned down towards the kid. "Maybe not. I honestly don't think you need that information." Duo pulled his badge out of his pocket and showed it to the kid. "Now get back to work before I break your fucking face in." My jaw dropped at his words. He was pulling Shinigami out of his ass on that kid who had good reason to be scared out of his mind and run away.

Duo turned back toward me and hooked a loose hair behind his ear.

"Stupid kids." He spoke flippantly, walking towards me and stopping a good five feet away. I watched his chest expand as he sucked in a breath before forcing a smile at me. He stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. Waiting for a reply? I didn't know what to say. "So… uh, I just avenged you. You gonna thank me?"

I wanted to thank him. I wanted it so badly, but I couldn't get past one thing. Duo had broken protocol and had beaten up a minor, however mildly. I punched him lightly in the shoulder, unable to control the grin that spread across my face.

"Want to lose your job?" I teased. Duo made a face.

"A small price to pay for justice!" He said in a horrid impression of Wufei.

"No it's more like this: Fighting a weak opponent leaves me feeling so empty! Ahhhh!" I think mine was just as bad.

Duo stared at me in wonder for a moment before we simultaneously doubled over in laughter. We straightened up a few moments later, still breathing hard with smiles on our faces.

"Welcome back." Duo slung an arm over my shoulder. I steered him back towards my car, no longer hungry for McDonalds. Maybe some more of that Taqueria take out and horchata we shared last week. He knew the routine, going to the passengers side and climbing in. We drove in silence and I couldn't shake my smile.

"So!" I said suddenly remembering where we had left off and making him jump. "Are you up to trading secret santas?" I spared him a few glances, wondering why he was thinking so hard on it. Finally he shook his head.

"No, no. Trowa will be expecting that."

I groaned knowing he was right. "Damnit. So I'm stuck with Tristi?" It was a rhetorical question. Duo answered anyway.

"You're on your own there buddy."

Mission: HOPELESS


	10. December 9

A/N - Got sick, crazy week. Hella behind. Gotta run. Needed to post. Post the others later tonight and tomorrow. I know I've said that before but it's true this time!

DISCLAIMER - URGH! I don't own it!!

PS: I'm not sure why Wufei is the butt of all my jokes. But he gets _kinda_ mean in this chapter. Guess I was in a mean mood?

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 9, 201AC

Time: 2:15pm

Location: HQ, Earth, Sanq Kingdom.

Mission: Mission Briefing

"Heero! The almighty commander of almighty commander-ness wants to see you!" Duo's voice rang through the floor. I heard snickers as I passed people, obviously laughing at Duo's word choice. Personally, Duo's use of vocabulary, or was it lack of vocabulary, never ceased to amaze me.

"Coming!" I called out after him.

Une was sitting at her desk, head propped up by her hand, rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. With Duo in the room, it was no wonder. He happened to be rubbing his head while sprawled on the floor. I helped him up and sat next to him in the chairs provided.

"In regards to your mission, you need to take up a code name and a slight disguise." Une folded her hand on the desk. "Your codename is Solo Knight. You have your friend Duo to thank for it."

My jaw slacked slightly at the mention on Duo's childhood friend. I looked over at him while he traced a knot in the wood of the desk with a smile on his face. At least it was his choice and not a sad coincidence.

"Knight?" I asked him.

He poked the knot. "You know. Like 'knight in shining armor' kind of Knight. You did kind of save the world." He said with a trace of 'duh.' I rolled my eyes.

"Right." I looked back at Une. "You said something about a disguise?"

She nodded her head as she began. "Clothes, and maybe a tattoo or two, some hair gel." She looked to Duo. "You _will_ go with him I presume? I need a knowledgeable eye to make sure he checks out."

"Oh I'll check him out alright!"

I put my best 'pleading' face on. "You're not really relying on him are you? He's going to go too far. He always does!" I heard Duo laugh.

"I only go as far as you beg for."

"Maxwell!" Une clipped. Duo straightened up. "Yes, Heero. He knows the street look. You have the look of a bicyclist. Deal with it." The chair squeaked as she stood. "Now get going before Maxwell ends up on the floor again!"

I nodded reluctantly and removed myself from the chair. When I spared a glance at Duo, he had a grin that promised my embarrassment. Some people, as we passed them, gave me sympathetic glances and I tried my best to beg them silently for a little help. No one came for me. Wufei didn't even try to hide his amusement and Trowa let himself to a knowing laugh.

"I'm not going to rape you or anything!" Duo exclaimed when we were alone in the elevator.

"No, but you have the power to mark me with any embarrassing disguise you see fit."

"Relax! I'm not gonna let you look like an idiot, just a little…" At his trail off, I leaned my head against the wall of the elevator and winced.

"What? Just tell me."

"Well, just a little like a street kid, druggy wannabe that listens to rap rock while sleeping in the cold." He clapped me on the back at the same time the doors opened. He led the way and I reluctantly followed.

The large department had several private rooms, one of which was where I would be getting that dreaded tattoo. Another, where I would be given my clothes. Duo kept forward towards the back corner of the floor. I stopped when I realized what he was getting at.

"No. You never do this! What are you going to do?" I protested as Duo shoved me towards the chair. He pushed me down into it right as a plastic sheet was wrapped around my neck.

I sat in annoyance while Duo discussed my hair with the Preventers hair stylist. The woman wound up 'blackening my roots' and randomly 'streaking a faded blue'. I stared at it in the mirror, surprised that I actually thought it did what it was supposed to. It wasn't over the top, but still enough to start my new look.

"See?" Duo stated under his breath as we walked towards the next station on his list. "It's not that bad!"

"This is just the first of many differences. You have yet to be out of trouble."

"Whatever. Next is the fun part." Again he pushed me towards a room and again I stopped, this time not in horror but in amusement. I was actually quite curious as to how Duo was going to decorate me.

The man with the skill of temporary tattoos was leaning against a counter openly flirting with about five other girls. Duo and I exchanged a look and a laugh before he stared on the guy.

"Hey! Dickwad! We need some shit!" The man turned towards us angrily, mouthed 'in a sec' and then turned back to his important business with the ladies. Duo leaned in. "Dick is his real name, just so you know."

"It's gonna be something else if he doesn't get to his job." I got a snicker in appreciation. "What am I getting anyway?"

Duo never answered me, eventually dragging Dick away from his party to get started on me. Apparently he discussed what I was getting while I couldn't hear because Dick immediately got started, cleaning and prepping my upper arm.

I've done this before; gotten a tattoo. Real needles, temporary ink, and it actually doesn't hurt that much. I watched as he started in black, a couple of lines, a curved shape then another ending in a point.

"Duo!" I pushed Dicks hand away when I realized what it was. "You can't be serious!"

"Hey the heart with 'Mom' is a classic-"

"-Cliché."

"-Tattoo of the street kid." He finished as if I hadn't interrupted.

"Except most street kids are on the street because they don't have moms."

"Or their beloved mother died! There's your story!" He clapped twice, ushering the artist on.

"I never knew my mother Duo. Neither did you." He knew I wasn't being serious as serious as the statement was.

"You don't know that!"

"You want mom or not?" Dick interrupted. I looked to Duo since he was in charge of my look and watched a grin grow on his face.

"You could always pay homage to your best friend in the world." He nodded at Dick who, I guess, knew what it meant.

"Yeah, a heart with your name in it. Sounds perfect." I looked at my arm where Dick was finishing up with the black. An outline of a heart and a ribbon with Duo's name in it. Next was the red for the- "I was being sarcastic!" Duo erupted in laughter and Dick shrugged, switching to the red ink. "No. Change it now! I can't have Duo's name in a heart on my arm!"

"Too late." Dick spoke. "Would you like cranberry red or Christmas red?"

I stared at Dick, speechless.

"Cranberry. And could you put a shine on the top right corner?"

I whipped my head to Duo, grinding my teeth.

"Definitely. And maybe a little purple on the ribbon."

Again, I looked to Dick.

"Oh yeah. And for the next one, I was thinking-" Duo stopped, waiting for me to cut him off. By his face, I'm sure _my_ face was furious. "Just kidding! Just kidding! Let's just finish up here so we can get your clothes.

As if it weren't enough for me to have black and blue in my hair, and a heart with Duo's name on my arm, I had to dress myself appropriately. With how much Duo was actually helping me, I was hesitant to get too annoyed at his eccentricities.

Duo found me some green cargo pants and three layers of shirts. Then he stripped me and I had to hold back pushing him away.

"Dude, you're going to need some other grundies." My pants had been dropped and he had seen my briefs.

"Like?"

"Uhh, boxers. Duh. Kids these days wear boxers."

I cursed under my breath. "Boxers are uncomfortable."

"Is Mr. Yuy complaining? Boxers are fine! Your pants are baggy enough that they won't bunch up on you." At the statement, I let my eyes roll over his body, taking in his pants and the way they fell around his hips. I remembered seeing him in boxers more often than not when he's changed in front of me and just now realized that he wore his pants a little big. "Now put these on." He handed me the pants.

They were pretty baggy and I needed a belt to keep them up. I put on the undershirt, then a t-shirt and a button up plaid over shirt. I wondered aloud why Duo was handing me a jacket.

"Street kid. Gets cold at night. No home. You know the routine!" He waved his hand then and grabbed my uniform, leading me out of the room.

We went back in the elevator up to our floor. Duo watched me from under his bangs, a smirk in place and arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"I kinda like the blue." I glared at his words to which his smirk got bigger. The doors opened and we walked onto our floor and to Une's office. Her secretary had us wait for five minutes while Une finished up another meeting. Wufei walked out of her office then in disguise like me.

It was a war of the ugly disguises. He looked like creepy old business man. I looked like a street brat. We looked each other up and down then saluted while trying to hide laughter.

"That look suits you." Duo teased.

"I think they chose wrong for his mission. You would've made a much better homeless kid than he does. There's hardly any work involved." Wufei retorted. My eyes widened, knowing how that might sting Duo.

"But they _didn't_ choose me. They did however, cast you perfectly. Just remember to stay away from little girls." Wufei's face reddened at Duo's cool comeback. "And little boys for that matter."

I pushed Duo through the door before Wufei could punch him and closed the door behind us. When I turned towards the commander, Duo was already sitting and looking pretty angry.

"For one, great job Duo. For two, get over it. I've got an interrogation for you." Duo perked up at the commander's mention of an interrogation. Une looked to me. "You look almost perfect Yuy. But there's something off."

"He needs boxers, messy hair, nail polish and some eye shadow. I've got three of the four covered." Duo piped in for me. I was glad Duo always told me about all of his plans. Not really of course.

"Alright, remember to be as little armed as possible. Go with Duo to finish and I'll see you in two days. Good luck in the cold." Une ushered us to the door.

"A huge thanks." I deadpanned.

Duo's office held all sorts of mysteries, like the phantom hockey stick that sometimes liked to hang around. However, I had solved the case of the missing black nail polish. He pulled a little bottle out of about twenty five from a drawer and moved to his desk.

I did as he commanded and sat in his chair while he sat on his desk in front of me and set a hand on his thigh. He painted under the nail for grossness and smeared the paint on top for wear. It was repeated before the bottle was set aside and a purplish black powder was pulled from the top drawer of the desk.

He stood and leaned in closer and I had to fight the urge to turn away from the proximity of his face to mine.

"Close your eyes." He whispered and vaguely wondered why he was whispering as I closed my eyes. I felt his finger rub across my eyelid and then under my eye. Again the process was repeated and when he whispered for me to open my eyes, I did and blinked at the powder that fell into them. A rush of air hit me in the face and I jumped, not expecting it.

"Sorry." Duo mumbled. He placed the container of powder in my hand. "The paint will last a couple days but you might have to reapply the shadow. I want it back so don't lose it. Now, for one last thing before I take you to get some boxers." He went back to the drawers that held the nail polish.

"Can't I just borrow some of yours?" I stifled a yawn but caught the tension rising in his shoulders as he continued to search for whatever he was searching for. Probably the hair gel.

"Uh, okay." When he turned his cheeks were tinged a definite pink. For as open as he was, he sure knew boundaries. He must cross them just to piss people off. "You'll have to stop by my place though. I don't have any clean one's here." He gave a sheepish grin.

"I would hope not." He opened the gel and squirted some of the gooey stuff on his fingers.

I blinked and my stomach growled.

His hands reached out after rubbing the gel on both of them and he grabbed at the roots of my hair and, from what I could feel, pulled.

"Ow. What are you doing?" I nagged at him.

"Making your hair look greasy." My stomach growled again. "We'll get some food before I drop you off so you don't starve." He grabbed more fistfuls of my hair and pulled. It didn't actually hurt all that much but I had to resist pulling away again. I felt extremely awkward and was suddenly finding it difficult to place my arms somewhere.

"Alright!" Duo gave one last squeeze of the hair on the back of my neck and I shivered. "We'll stop by the apartments and then get food. Where do you need to be dropped off?"

"I'll walk. I need to look tired and know the streets anyway." I answered him. He wiped his hands off on a towel and grabbed his office phone.

"Can I have a large double meat, no onions and added pineapple pizza please? Yes. Uhh, coke is fine. No. Yes. Meteor Street Apartments. Zero Zero Two. Okay, thanks!" He hung up and I smiled at him. "Ready? It's quitting time."

I nodded at him and we both made our way downstairs. The glass windows on office doors reflected me perfectly and just as I was wondering how Duo always remembered how I liked certain foods, I caught a glimpse of myself in one of those windows. I froze.

"You alright?" Duo asked, returning to my side and looking in the window with me.

"I look like shit."

"Exactly!" He was a little too happy about this…

"Thanks." …But he had done a good job. "But do I really have to go out like this?"

"Are _you_ bailing on a mission?"

I attempted my best sad face and we finished the walk out the front doors.

Mission: COMPLETE


	11. December 10

A/N - It might be painfully obvious in this chapter but I'm just not a stoner. I have stoner friends and have been in a room full of, well, ...cough... so if the lingo sucks, you know why.

DISCLAIMER - I make no profit, this is for fun, I do not own any of the characters (except I guess the Oc's) and any resemblance to anything else is purely coincidental.

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December10, 201AC

Time: 1:36am

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom.

Mission: Infiltration

"Fuck it's cold!" I pull my jacket tighter around my three shirts. I'm damn glad that Duo gave it to me. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." Using curse words is part of being a street kid so I make sure to throw them out whenever I can.

Walking down some crime ridden street, I duck into an alley near the drug area that I'm trying to get at. My back slides down the dirty wall of the building and I pull my jacket tight around my knees. The smell of cigarettes and marijuana waft over to me.

"Vant some? It sure to varm you up." A voice speaks through the darkness. I look for a face but can only see dark.

"'Course we smoked out the good shit. I'm willin' t' share what we got." Another voice says. They're behind the trash can.

"You're a lifesaver." I move towards them, hoping to share some warmth. When I come upon them, one has longer dirty blonde hair and is smoking a joint. The other has shaggy greasy black hair and is taking long drags off a cigarette. He hands me one and I take it. "Thanks."

"'Aven't seen you befghore." The blonde one must not speak English. He leans over to me and lights my cig though.

"Prolly not. Just got here an' all." I inwardly cringe at my lingo. Sounds like Duo gone stupid. "You guys together?" They exchange an angry glance and I realize exactly what I just asked. "I mean together here? You two live here?"

The blonde one seems to calm down but the black haired one stays on the defense. "Yeah, we's together. In both senses. This is our alley so if you's got a problem…" He snarled at me then and I backed off.

"I was just asking." Then I had a stroke of brilliance. "Me too. I mean, my…" I struggled with the word but played it off as if I was having trouble admitting. "…boyfriend just-" My voice cracked. I was trying hard not to laugh at the thought of Duo's reaction to hearing all this.

"Shit, 's that why you came out here?" The dark haired one was obviously the talker in the relationship. I nodded, looking down and spotting my cigarette again. I lifted it to my lips and took a drag before watching the smoke billow out in front of me. Suddenly, a hand burst through the smoke.

"Name's Buck. And this here's Moritz. He don't speak much English, and I don't speak much German but we get by alright." I took the offered hand and shook.

"Solo." I answer.

Buck lifts an eyebrow. "Solo? Damn iconic name don't cha think?"

I smiled at his misuse of the word but knew what he meant. "Should hear my… my boyfriends name." I sniffled out of a cold runny nose but it was perfect timing for my sob story. I reluctantly took my arm out of the jacket and the over shirt to show them my tattoo.

"Duo? Like two babies in a carriage!" He liked to make up his own phrases I quickly noted.

"Pretty much." I flicked the ash off the tip of my cigarette and stuck it in my mouth while I shoved my cold arm back in my layers. "We named each other. Was always on the street and he was my only friend." I sucked in another drag to bite back the rising lump in my throat. I was basically telling Duo's story.

"How'd he… if you don't mind?" He looked so engrossed in my story that I just couldn't stop there. The lump was getting thicker as I finished the story Duo had told me once.

"Got sick." I choked out. Shit! Damn Duo and being able to make me cry. "Nothin' anybody could do for him. Just fucking…" I shook my head after putting the cigarette out. "What about you? How'd ya meet if you can't really talk to each other?"

"This buildin' here. Invitation only and we got invited." I could tell he was being purposefully vague and knew this was it.

"Why aint you there now?"

"We was gonna have a warming party and try to catch the first snow." At his words, I looked up with my breath wafting in little white clouds around me. It was too dark to see but the air was biting cold and a little dry.

"Didn't mean to interrupt." I scooted back as if to excuse myself.

"Yous welcome to join. Or watch. We don't really care." He lifted an eyebrow and I shook my head. There were some things that I just wouldn't do for the job. He shrugged at my decline and watched me with interest. "You can stick around if you don't mind a little noise. Too cold to take our time, and if it snows we'll see about getting you invited."

I had to hide my enthusiasm with a little nod of my head. "Can I bum another?" I asked and was handed a cigarette and a lighter. I turned my back on them, leaning my left side against the building I was hoping to enter at some point tonight. I lit the cigarette and spared a quick turn back to toss them the lighter.

It was damn cold out here! The training I had gotten so many years ago had been a little like this but I had been in little more than my infamous shorts and tank. Plus, I had since outgrown that child and was now an adult living a mostly normal existence. A moan from behind me broke through my defense. Okay, I wasn't normal, but I had outgrown the training. I still found big crowds and new people difficult. I still hid my emotions when I felt they were becoming too strong. My job was an exception. Being someone else while under cover was easy, being myself was hard.

I finished my cigarette too quickly and had to spend a few moments listening to 'vuck!' and 'that's it baby, harder!' My eyes had closed and I tried to tune them out thinking about my upcoming weekend shopping list. I rolled my eyes under my lids at the thought of getting Tristi something. I was pretty set on Quatre and Trowa's gifts. It would only take a little going out to get. Zechs and Noin would be a little more difficult.

Something tickled my cheek and I wiped at it, finding only wetness. I opened my eyes, knowing I had snuffed my lumpy throat a while ago. Then I saw it. Little white puffs were floating down lazily from the black abyss above us. My jaw rattled from cold when I shifted to get a better view of the snow. Ignoring the couple coupling to my right and huddling my knees to my chest, I laid my back against the wall and looked straight up. I watched it fall with rapt attention.

It was a little weird, but I enjoyed the music my new friends made while I stared up at the snow falling. Abandoning myself for a second, I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue in attempt to catch a flake. My head swiveled from side to side and soon my whole body was in on it.

"Don't eat the yellow ones." Buck chuckled. I stopped and looked over at them. My breath hitched at the sight of them. They were both on their knees, Moritz behind buck, pants down just enough for entrance and shirts open just enough for a little touching. "Should've joined us, I'm sweatin'." They were obviously finished.

I swallowed and looked back up at the snow. If I was completely honest with myself… well this was one of those times that I squashed my emotions. I was on my haunches when a hand grabbed my arm and lifted me.

"Come on. We'll get you in. Anything you good at? They don't give free rides." Buck pulled me toward the front of the building.

"I'm a mean pickpocket." I answered. In reality, Duo was the mean one, but I would go along with it while I took on his persona. How hard could it be really? I had done it a few times when I was younger and I could only get better with age right?

"Nice." Moritz appraised me. The large double doors opened and we walked into a small hall. "Vee geeve them free shows." My eyes widened and I laughed.

"Nice!" I was in a good mood considering how late it was and how cold I was, and not entirely out of getting into the building. Buck knocked on the inside doors, on the other side of the hall. A small window opened with a grate in front of it.

"What?" I deep voice spoke.

"Moritz and Buck. Flying Penguins." It must have been a password.

"And that bozo?"

"Our very cold and very lonely friend Solo." Buck answered.

"He joining you?"

"No, but he claims to be a mean pickpocket." Buck winked back at me and I smiled a feeble smile for the man in the window.

"Wait here." The window closed and Buck explained that I was being discussed with the higher ups. The window opened again a few seconds later.

"You can come in, but your friend has to wait." The window closed and I nodded at Moritz and Buck to go. I figured there's be some sort of interrogation involved and I also felt pretty confident that I'd pass.

The window opened when the door closed behind them and a new voice spoke. "Full known name, ethnicity and where you're from."

"Uhh…" I feigned nervousness. "Solo. Solo Knight! Some sort of Asian I guess. I'm not exactly sure. I'm from all over. I started in North America and hopped over here over time."

"Are you willing to perform services?" Shit! Damn, fuck shit.

"Wh-what kind?" I swallowed, hoping this wasn't the end. I'd either have to suck it up and perform or not get in.

"You say you can pickpocket. How 'bout bringing us a full wallet as payment?" It was my lucky day.

I didn't even attempt to hide my enthusiasm. "Yeah. Sure."

"Be quick. Your password is 'Flying Douche.'" I was taken aback by my password and almost laugh at it's absurdity. Instead I nodded and turned tail out the doors in search for someone to steal from.

I started at a slow trot but sped up when I realized no one was around. The snow crunched under my feet and still fell around me until I stopped in front of a bar. People were still inside and I waited for one to come out.

"I figured I could ask for most of the wallets contents as a 'trophy' of my 'first pickpocket in the kingdom' and maybe they'd let me keep it until I returned to Preventers. From there we could return it to its owner as if we had found it on the street. It would only work if I got to keep it though.

My hand reached out as a man entered the bar. He didn't even look at me and it was too easy to pull the wallet from its obvious home in the pocket of his trench coat. Who left their wallets in their outer wear anyway? I felt bad since the man wouldn't be able to get any drinks but found myself snickering as I ducked into the dark and ran back towards the building.

I counted the money in it, knowing there would be some since the man was entering the bar and not leaving. There were no pictures of kids or decent women so I assumed the man wasn't married. There was no credit card, which amused me. Either he had none or had taken it out before entering the bar for easy access. Maybe he _would_ get a drink tonight.

I swung the front doors open and knocked on the inside ones. The window opened again.

"Solo Knight. Flying Douche." I was getting into this role of mine. It was fun, and I couldn't help but think of Duo as a kid. I took a few calming breaths. This was a mission. I couldn't lose track of what I was after.

"Wallet?" The voice asked. I held up the wallet. "Come in." I could hear the smile in his voice as the door opened.

I stepped through the doorway and into what looked like a lobby. My eyes scanned the room taking in every detail of it that I could while my face showed awe. There were couches of all shapes and sizes scattered around. Several mock stages for 'performances' I guessed. The middle of the room was occupied by several men in suits huddles around a table.

"Solo! Yeah! You got in!" I heard Buck from the right corner of the room. I was startled out of my fake awe as the unnamed man behind the door grabbed the wallet out of my hands. He took the money out and counted it and without me having to ask, and after checking for any other valuables, threw it back at me.

"This'll get you twenty four hours and two smokes of your choice. Any more and you gotta pay up or do us a service." He said. I could do that.

Twenty four hours left me until about three in the morning tomorrow which I could get away with. But I was worried about the 'any more.' Nodding at the man, I stepped warily past him and towards Buck's voice.

I found him and Moritz sitting on a couch leaning over the table in front of them with what looked like a straw. "Right." I mumbled to myself. As I came upon them, they came up for air and smiled widely at me.

"Sit! Join!" Buck pointed towards the table. "We'll share! We're up in a few minutes." He pointed over towards an occupied stage. "Right after them." I watched the bodies on the stage writhe around completely naked.

I sat, but declined to join. I tried my best to fit in, not really wanting to do any hard core drugs but not wanting to look like a prick either. A suited man came up to me after Moritz and Buck had left and offered me a smoke.

"Your pick." He wiggled his eyebrows at me once then dropped his gaze down my body. I smirked back so as not to turn him off.

"Trees?" I asked. One joint wouldn't hurt me but more than one and I might start to feel it.

He pulled one out of his pocket and put it directly in my mouth. He then proceeded to lean forward and light it while gazing directly into my eyes. I took him in; well kept blonde hair, eyes reddened, skin wasn't splotchy. He didn't have the signs of a druggy and judging by his suit, I was guessing he mostly made the money.

"Join me?" Maybe I could seduce a few secrets out of him. I didn't want to think much past that but resigned myself to a very good possibility of having to kiss this man before the day was through.

"Of course." Instead of sitting next to me, he set his knee in between my legs, picked the joint out of my mouth and caged me in his arms. His mouth found my neck and I leaned my head to the side.

I had already kissed one guy this week, what was the difference of kissing one more?

Mission: UNDERWAY


	12. December 11

A/N – So I'm officially lame. To all you reviewers: THANK YOU. I really do appreciate it! I figure its gotta be good when there's a 'favorite author/story/story alert/review alert every time I check my email. Foxy: you don't mind me calling you foxy do you? Yeah, I get excited too. Lol. Snowdragon: Sometimes you say (type) things that make me have to go back and add something. However, this time I hope to surprise you. Violetta: I always giggle when you review and I don't know why so don't ask. :P But seriously, everyone, thanks. Much love and on with the show!!!!

PS: Just got back from a family holiday party and am DOG TIRED. I had way too much sparkling cider and not enough food. Expect more tomorrow! (That's kinda obvious because it's _supposed _to be updated daily but my dad's work and our lame internet has given me grief!)

DISCLAIMER - See previous.

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December11, 201AC

Time: 12:15am

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom.

Mission: Infiltration

"Solo." The dark suddenly overwhelmed me and I opened my eyes to little resistance.

"Dmitri?" I saw the suited man's face. He nodded at me with a smirk and I noted his lack of shirt.

"Duo, huh? That why you weren't into me?" I shot straight up and found myself in a bed. A large luxurious bed with a canopy and silk sheets.

"What did you say?" He knew Duo's name.

"Your tattoo." He leaned into me. We had whispered introductions to each other during his seduction of me. The memories flooded in of my neck being devoured by his lips, of a crowd gathering when my shirts came off. "It says Duo.' He finished.

"Right." Shit, if I didn't get back on track now I'd blow my cover. "Sorry, I'm still tired."

"I guess so!" He laughed. "You fell asleep on me." It was a purr and I floundered for a second trying to find a way out of this situation. "I've run a bath for you. Hope you won't mind a little company." His smile was sincere but not in a dangerous way.

"I-I…" I stuttered, still searching for a way out. My mind was so foggy. Maybe the weed really _had_ gotten to me. I looked over to a clock and reminded myself that the high would have worn off long before now. I fell back down in defeat.

"It's okay. Just company. Buck said something about a past boyfriend." He spoke gently and I nodded. "Sleeping buzz?" Laughter laced his voice.

"Huh?"

"I was smoking just a moment ago. Contact buzz, or in your case, sleeping buzz." He laughed out loud and stood, revealing that he had his slacks on still.

"What happened?" Laughter escaped me and I clung to my character.

"We got a crowd and you got stiffer than you already were. We agreed to come up here and finish what we started but you fell asleep on me! I'm sorry if I overstepped your boundaries." Definitely sounded sincere.

"No, I'm sorry I couldn't get over it." He smiled at my apology and jerked his head toward what I presumed was the bathroom. "Oh yeah." I pushed the sheets aside and found myself in only Duo's boxers.

"You really love him don't you?" Dmitri gently asked. My head tilted to the side in confusion. "Those say Duo on them. I thought you might be more comfortable without the heavy pants and boots and I was going to strip you naked but I saw his name on the inside of the elastic and couldn't go any farther. It was just too cute." We both blushed at his confession and I couldn't help but give a little sad laugh.

"He was my best friend."

"Well come tell me about him while we soak in a hot bath! The water will get cold if we leave it sitting too long!" He undid his pants and dropped them as I swung my legs over the bed. His red briefs made me remember Duo telling me that kids these days wore boxers. The briefs fell shortly after revealing true sincerity. He was completely flaccid and open to me with his naked body.

As if he could feel my hesitation, he stepped closer to me and gently hooked a finger in my boxers. He pulled down and let them fall without moving away. I swallowed and my heart raced as he ran his hands up and down my arms. I looked down to avert his gaze and quickly changed tactics when I got a perfect view of his privates.

"Relax." He whispered into my ear and my body shivered. "Come." I sucked in a breath at the word. It wasn't exactly clear how he had meant it and my certainty of his sincerity wavered.

His hand found mine and he pulled me towards the bathroom. I started to follow but my feet got stuck in the boxers that were pooled at my feet and I stumbled. An arm immediately wrapped around me while his hand let go and another arm lifted me off my feet. I watched his profile angrily while he ignored me and walked to the bathroom.

The bathtub was huge, with Jacuzzi jets along the sides. My body was placed in the water and he followed. We sat facing each other from each side of the tub. His feet were at my hips, and mine were at his thighs. I stared at him, his carrying me like a woman had put me off.

"He's got a firm hold on you huh?" He asked, his gaze settling on the vanity sinks.

"Yes." I told myself to not be bothered by it but I was losing it.

Apparently he cold hear my unease because he looked at me then in confusion. "Did I do something?"

"I'm not a woman. You don't have to treat me like one." I supported my decision to lash out when I remembered how Buck had so quickly changed gears at the mention of his and Moritz being together.

Dmitri threw up his hands in peace. "Sorry! You're just so cute!" His innocence calmed me, but I kept my mind alert. I think he could see it in my eyes because he quickly changed the subject. "You seem older than you really are."

"How old do you think I am?" I needed to keep him off track of my real identity.

"Nineteen?"

I shook my head and lied. "Seventeen. You?"

He made a wary face. "Older." He stared me over for a moment. "Could've sworn you were older. You don't look any older than nineteen." He was close and I raised my eyebrows at him.

"You look about thirty two. But no older than thirty five." I felt better being in the water. The mission was my priority and I was back on track.

"Ding ding! Right on. Thirty two." He laughed causing the water to splash around my chest. "So are you going to keep avoiding the subject of Duo?"

I sighed. "No. What do you want to know?"

"Start from the beginning." He lifted his arms to rest on the lips of the tub.

"We met on the street as kids. We were both orphans and he quickly became my hero…" I told him the story that Duo had told me of him and Solo. That I had taken my name because of his name. Of course the ending changed a little. I told him that we had been together for as long as I could remember and just recently he got sick and had died. Just the story I was telling was choking me up a little, but I used it to my advantage. "And that's when I started wandering. Wound up here a couple of days ago and made friends with Moritz and Buck." I finished.

"I'm glad." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion at Dmitri's words. "Not that Duo died! No! Just that you found a place to stay." Well I wasn't exactly staying here for long. I only had… I didn't know how much longer I had!

"What time is it?" I asked in frenzy and splashing water every where as I stood.

"Probably about two! Why?" He followed me up.

"I gotta go. I'm running out of time!" I reached for a towel where his hand stopped me.

"What are you? Cinderella?" He joked. The 'girl' reference made me mad again.

"I told you, I'm not a girl!" I hit his hand away.

"Wait. I only meant that I've got you covered." His words hit the back of my head as I walked out of the bathroom and I stopped to turn. "Yeah. Remember? I'm one of the few in charge. I can keep you as long as I want."

At the word 'keep', I started off again. Then I stopped again. I didn't have enough information on how this place worked. "You can't keep me here." I spat out in a panicky voice. If I could only get him to spill how this place was run.

"No of course not! I only meant that I'll get you whatever you want."

"I won't sleep with you." Stick to the protocol.

"I figured. But you think we can manage a kiss this time?"

"Oh we kissed! What you were doing to my neck; that was kissing!"

"That was kissing your _neck._ You cleverly avoided my mouth. Now would you calm down? I won't hurt you or do anything you don't want." This guy! He was damn persistent.

"I don't want to kiss you." I spoke truthfully. He pouted his lips.

"Only Duo."

"No! It's not like that. I just…" I don't know what it _was_ like.

"You just? You just can't get over Duo." Lips still pouty, he gave me a knowing smile.

"It's not about getting over him or not. He's my best friend!" I blurted. Focus Heero, focus. "I'd rather just pay to stay here. I don't want any trouble." There we go. Back onto the important subject.

"Trouble?" His eyebrow flagged.

"I don't want to not be able to pay and be left in debt of you. And I don't want to pay by making out for a crowd!" Okay, losing the whole 'desperate street kid' thing Heero.

"They make out because they want to. Sure we like it, we're perverts. But tell me one person who isn't?"

"I'm not!" I said in defense of myself, and then I thought about what he had just said. "Because they want to? Buck said no free rides."

"He must've told you we're invitation only?" Dmitri was seriously confusing me.

"Duh!" And then I laughed because it was something Duo would say. "He also said no free rides! I went and pick pocketed to get in this place!" I was still laughing, and it only increased when I realized I was still naked with only a towel for modesty.

"You really think we would've left you in the cold? That shit's a joke! We just want to see if you'll really do it and most people do because they're so desperate!" His voice was serious but he was looking at me like I had lost my mind.

"So this is a homeless shelter, run by you guys out of the goodness of your hearts?" It was sarcastic.

"Kind of, yeah. Most kids are looking for a companion and we give it to them. Some are looking for an escape from the fucking harsh reality, we give it to them. Some just need a place to stay for a few nights and we give it to them!"

I took all of the information in slowly and moved to the bed to think. My towel was placed over my hips and I rested my elbows on my knees. A joke, invitation only, escape from reality?

"You tricked me. You and Buck and Moritz. And the guy at the door! That was a joke?" I asked the floor.

"All in good fun Solo!" Dmitri sat next to me, sinking in the bed a little.

"But you're drug dealers. They were snorting lines!"

Dmitri gave me an 'are you serious' look. "Pixie sticks. They were joking. And if they weren't, then they got that shit on their own. We only do weed, and that's because we grow it and dry it here."

"I can't believe you'd give it for free. And what about the stages?" Inquiring minds need to know and I intended to know all the details he was willing to share whether they were true or not.

"Hey! That's _all_ them! We watch because it's nice to watch and sometimes we'll pay them." He shrugged.

"So it's a whorehouse?" I was starting to get worried again.

"Solo! You're not listening to me! They do what they want and sometimes we watch. If we want a show then we ask them if they'll do it for money. Most of them do it for free anyway so they usually say yes. We don't sell drugs, but we give them weed for free. It warms them up and lets them relax. And who hasn't smoked weed these days?" He kept going before I could say 'me!' again. "We're like a huge family, so we play pranks and pull dares on each other. This place isn't for everyone but we invite anyone. If they like it, they stay. If not, they don't." His eyes were intense in his explanation.

"You aren't married are you?" It was the only thing I could think of to ask after his long winded speech. He laughed at it.

"No! None of us are! We don't commit! Not like you and Duo." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. I looked away in defiance. "Uh huh! See! He's your true love!" He teased and it cracked through my anger.

"No he's not!" I tried to hide my smile. "He's just my best friend."

"No, it's alright, I just let you in on our little family here and you deny us a little insight into your life! I see how it is." His feigned whine didn't budge me. "Aww, come on, his name is in a heart on your arm!"

"It's a joke. He tricked the guy into writing it and now I'm stuck with it." Where did my lie end and my reality start?

"So was he good in bed?"

"I never said-"

"But you wish you could!" He laughed right in my face, not a mocking laugh but a true laugh.

"_He_ wishes!" I decided that playing along couldn't hurt. "Maybe not with me so much as with anybody! I swear he's the clingiest guy I've ever known."

"Yeah, he needs to get laid! Ha, you should bring him here!"

I answered that in all honesty. "Wish I could. He'd like you guys." I sighed and Dmitri and I shared a moment of peace from the bantering.

Dmitri broke the silence. "He's not dead is he?" I flashed my eyes to him.

"What?"

"You've been talking about him in the present tense for a while now. I was wondering if you'd catch it." He was right, I realized as I backtracked through the conversation. Shit! "You guys get in a fight? Lovers spat? Did he betray you?" Okay Heero. Follow one of those and get yourself out of this.

"Fight." It was all I was going to offer for now.

"Why are you here?" His tone was serious and I looked at the floor again.

"Running away, I guess." Look ashamed.

"That's stupid." Nod in agreement. "Go to him. He's probably worried sick about you."

Shake head. "He's probably still mad at me."

"Not if he loves you as much as you make it sound. Now get dressed and go." When I didn't reply, he tightened his own towel and picked me up off the bed. I couldn't believe I had blown my story like that. All I could feel was disappointment at myself for letting it get away from me.

Dmitri dressed me and somewhere with the third shirt, I realized I needed to help. Get out and get done. The sooner I was out of the place, the sooner I was free. He helped my jacket on last before turning me around and hugging me. I stood like brick.

"It'll work out. You're a cool kid Solo." Then he unzipped a pocket on my pants and reached in. When he pulled out the butterfly knife Duo had given me for protection, I wondered if he knew more than he was letting on. "I took it off your leg. These streets are pretty rough so you might need it." He said as he placed it in my hand. I pocketed it in an easier to get at pocket and we turned out the door.

The building was like a hotel, rooms everywhere and we passed several open doors on our way down. In one was a couple with a baby watching TV. In another, were a couple of teenage girls playing with each others hair. Some guys were arm wrestling in another and then I couldn't look anymore.

I didn't think Dmitri was lying about this place.

In the lobby room at the ground floor, Dmitri led me through the tables and to the doors. Out of somewhere Buck and Moritz ran up.

"Leaving?" Buck sounded sad. "We was just playin' with you!"

"Ve're family here. You're welcome." Moritz pleaded with me but Dmitri told them off.

"He's going after the love of his life, let him go." Then he turned to me again. "Just visit if you can?" I nodded letting them think what they wanted but also feeling extremely sad to go. Suddenly a pixie stick hit me in the chest and I caught it.

"Don't snort it. Hurts like shit!" Buck laughed and I laughed back. Another hand tapped my shoulder. I looked at the upturned palm.

"Give me that wallet. We'll make sure it's returned." I took the wallet out of my pocket knowing I could trust them. They hadn't betrayed me yet. The mystery door man winked at me. "And we'll leave you out of it."

I nodded in thanks before a last wave to everybody and a kiss on the cheek from Dmitri. I blushed and they all laughed before I ran out into the snowy night. No one followed.

I didn't stop until I got to the apartments, running after Duo hot in my mind. It wasn't until I was outside his door that I realized I didn't really need to chase him. He'd be sleeping in his bed and I would see him tomorrow. I shook my head and wondered what rabbit hole I had just managed to get out of.

It was nice to leave the grungy clothes on the floor and I stripped in the dark of my own room. I hadn't slept much during my stay and when I was awake, things were so crazy that I didn't know which way was up. When I tripped over something that I knew wasn't in my room when I left, I flicked the light on and smiled at the lump on my bed.

"Duo!" I startled him awake. He jumped straight up to standing on my bed. I chuckled sleepily.

"You're back!" He looked at the clock. "It's late! Are you alright? They didn't do anything weird did they?" His braid flipped around wildly behind him.

"I'm fine. Calm down." He was moving much too fast for my groggy brain to keep up with. He egged me on with an expectant face. "It was definitely weird, but it was actually a lot of fun." I gave him a sincere smile.

"Tell me about it!" He plopped his butt on the bed and bounced.

I shook my head. "Tomorrow. I'm fucking tired."

He jumped up again, this time on the floor. "Oh, yeah! Guess you'll want your bed back!" I nodded and stumbled toward it, memories of the past couple days floating through my head. He held the blankets back for me while I crawled in then put on his pants for his trip back to his own apartment.

"Just crash on the couch." I mumbled at his retreating form. He nodded before turning off the lights. "Wish you could've been with me. You would've liked it." My eyes grew heavy even as I spoke and I wasn't sure if Duo was even there anymore.

"I'll want my boxers back." I heard his voice and smiled knowing he was still there.

"I actually wanted to keep these. They're not…" A yawn. "…so bad." He chuckled from the doorway and I let him wander off to my couch as I caught up on sleep.

Mission: COMPLETE


	13. December 12

A/N - For future reference: Sparkling Cider does not contain the daily amount of vitamins needed to keep a healthy body. Eat food. Take vitamins. Sorry for the MIA but I'm like dying here. And I leave tomorrow for the snow? WTF? What is wrong with me. Post more tomorrow. Couldn't leave you hanging more than a week. Going to sleep now so that maybe I can live through the ridiculousness of being sick.

DISCLAIMER - I'm in a bad mood and I still don't own anything!

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date: December 12, 201AC

Time: 1:00 pm

Location: HQ, Earth, Sanq Kingdom.

Mission: Debrief

Une's office was cold when I entered. Her desk was almost completely barren while I waited for her to return from who knows where. I had already filed my report on the mission and I'm sure she had already read it.

She had barely closed her door behind her before she started. "I want the details Yuy. If you expect me to further lay off this case, I need sufficient evidence."

I nodded in agreement. "The whole thing is completely misunderstood."

"That's it? That's your evidence?" She walked to her chair and sat.

"No. I'm saying that no intervention is needed."

"Why?" She was obviously skeptical of my idea.

"A few men ran the place. It's almost like a homeless shelter. They feed and house as many as possible and ask anyone they find if they'd like to join. They don't force anyone to do anything and everyone seemed quite happy there." I watched her pull my report from her desk and look it over.

"These men's names were…?" She urged me on.

"I only knew one. He was Dmitri Genesis. There were about seven more but I never met them." I saw her eye's stop and she paused before setting the report on her desk and looking at me like she was concentrating very hard on something. I sat while she thought and soon her hand had her chin propped in it. The look never wavered.

"Were you able to meet anyone inside other than your two friends…" The look dropped from my face to the report. "…Moritz and Buck?"

"The man at the door." My knowledge of that man was vague but he seemed harmless enough. "I didn't find out his name."

Her look returned to my face. I sat in the silence wondering what exactly she was concentrating so hard on. "You've noted that services were… given? Taken?"

"All mutual."

"Can you be so sure?" Her head tilted in doubt.

"Dmitri asked me. I turned him down, he made no further advances."

"Right. But what about the _others_?"

"They seemed willing enough."

"But you didn't ask them Heero! That is what I'm trying to get at! There is not sufficient evidence suggesting that we should let go of this case!" She took a deep breath and I felt it necessary to take one myself. I saw where this was going.

"Nothing seemed out of ordinary. I kept a watchful eye while in there and nothing caught my attention." I knew most of what I was telling her she already knew, but I needed to explain that it wasn't as it seemed.

"Smoking marijuana isn't a cause for worry?" Her look was incredulous. "And you said they gave it away… for free?"

There was no way around this. "They grew it there."

"And that suddenly makes it legal?" I winced when the tone of her voice changed.

"It wasn't cocaine or acid. It wasn't prescription drugs. It wasn't E." It was apparent to me what they must have looked like but I also knew first hand what it was like to be there. Illegal or not, I didn't find them a threat.

"It's still illegal."

"Would you call out a fellow comrade for Marijuana?"

I didn't know what was coming to me. Her palm hit my cheek before I even saw her stand. She leaned over the desk then while I tried to pick up the pieces of my pride. "I certainly wouldn't _indulge_ it." Her voice was dangerous. "Now you either close that smart mouth of yours or you can take a vacation."

I didn't answer, nor did I look her in the eye. She was right and I knew it. I had no evidence to support my claims.

"What'll it be Agent?" She finally clipped at me.

I raised my gaze to her. "Commander." It was an acknowledgement for her to continue.

"Illegal drugs, public nudity-" She gave me a look when I tried to interrupt. "Prostitution. You were there for two days Yuy and you brought back no evidence supporting your claims against those cases." My heart sank at her words. "From the sounds of your report, you slept most of the time away! Before that you were… _indulging_… and getting chummy with your new 'friends.'" She quoted the air with her fingers. A distracting noise in my head was the sound of my pride shattering more. "And from experience, bathing with another person constitutes as possible servicing."

My face flared in embarrassment. "I did _not_ do anything with Dmitri!"

"So you say." Her hand waved through the air noncommittally. "However it appears that possible retraining of you might be in order. As it stands, I may give you leave for the next week."

What? "I'm your top agent!" I protested. She sat again.

"Yes, which is why I really don't want to have to do either of those. Explain to me now why I shouldn't." Her stare was expectant and I floundered looking for something to say in my defense.

"I'm your top agent." I reiterated. "I…" Her stare kept. "I had yet to fail you as I apparently have on this case. No one is more relied upon to safeguard the top Politicians. No partners have complained about me as far as I know." The corner of her mouth twitched up slightly. "This case was an infiltration only. An undercover. I did succeed in touching bases with several different people inside, including one of the owners. I handed over vital information such as but not limited to the fact that they grow illegal drugs in the building." A full smile bloomed. "And if you were to continue to gather information and evidence supporting your theory, I suspect you will come up with about the same information I've already given you." I nodded at her smiling face. "Commander?"

"Very good Yuy." I got a nod of praise. "Information will continue to be gathered, and I will not put you on leave. I will however ask you to catch up on your sleep so that next time I won't have an agent sleeping on the job." I gaped at her sudden change of attitude. "You may go back to your office."

I nodded and stood to walk to the door. "Commander, who will you send to finish?"

"I'm still thinking on that." There was nothing left to do but leave her office. My cheek still stung a little and I wondered if she didn't just want to slap me for all the years of trouble I've given her. But I was still upset over the whole meeting. I knew what I saw!

I wasn't in my office three minutes before Duo bounded in. "Dude! How'd the debriefing go?"

"Shut up Duo." I said in my frustration.

"Geez!" He calmed. "See if I get _you_ anything for Christmas!"

"The rubber chicken will be sorely missed." Duo had a way of cheering me up.

He laughed. "Hey! Mr. Chicken makes the perfect pet! He doesn't eat, or make noise…"

"Unless you step on him."

"…And he never gets any bigger. You don't have to bathe him or worry about leaving him alone."

"I can't believe I called it a 'him.'"

"No hair, so there's no grooming. You don't have to clip its nails. And you don't have to take it outside to pee!"

An interruption in the doorway had us both turning to look at Trowa. "So on the whole, a rubber chicken is easier to have around than Duo." I nodded in agreement.

"Shut up Trowa!" Duo hissed at him.

"Geez, see if I get _you_ anything for Christmas!" Trowa chuckled into his hand, leaving Duo and I gaping at his repetition of Duo's earlier words. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not here to annoy you. The commander wants to see you in her office." His words were directed at Duo.

"Gotta go, buddy. The Wicked Witch of OZ _wants_ me." Duo laughed at his own innuendo.

Trowa led the way out of my office with Duo mumbling things like 'I'm coming honeyb-Une' and something about 'smelling like potatoes' behind him.

Maybe a rubber chicken would be better.

With Duo gone, it was too easy to see the bleakness of my situation. I was left to wonder why I seemed so upset about the few people I had met, and I came to the conclusion that they _did_ take me in no questions asked. I had called them my friends earlier and I supposed that's really what they were. They reminded me of how I interacted with Duo and Trowa. Teasing and maybe some slight flirting, but all in good fun. Wufei and I acted a little more along the lines of professional coworkers.

There was no way to get around it. No breaking of the rules. I couldn't warn Dmitri or Buck or Moritz. I couldn't go against the Commander. The sudden thought of her had me rubbing at my cheek unconsciously.

"Dude." I looked up to see Duo looking somber in my doorway. More time must have passed than I thought. "This sucks." He swept his hand through his bangs.

"What does? Bad mission.?" I asked.

"Yeah, actually. Trowa and I both. We uh…" He hesitated. "…Well we got put on the follow up of your case."

"What?" I started.

"Yep. I'm going as your friend Duo Knight. Trowa's going as my new squeeze." He gave me a sad smile. "You'll be considered lost."

"Duo!" A thought occurred to me and I jumped up. "I'm positive you won't find any evidence against my story while there but if-"

"I can't save your ass Heero." His head shook slowly. "Not with Trowa there."

"No, I wouldn't ask that of you." Though it comforted me that he would if Trowa wasn't there.

"You wouldn't have to. But I gotcha man, and I'll back you when we get back. But we leave tonight so when I get back from getting a makeover," he eyed my still blue streaked hair and smiled, "let's get something to eat. I suddenly have a craving for potatoes."

"Sounds good." His eyes were still wandering over my hair. "Can you ask how to get this out while you're down there?"

"Sure thing." He said with a nod and he turned to leave. I went back to my work and somewhere between ten and twenty minutes passed before it struck me.

"_I'll back you when we get back_" Duo had said. He was willing to trust my judgment without question. He had already taken my word for it and was going into it biased. Breaking the rules.

I just hoped he wouldn't bear the brunt of my mistake.


	14. December 25

A/N - I know that this chapter might not make any sense because I'm out of order with the chapters. All my chapters except for a few I wrote first (including todays) are on my computer that is broken and currently being fixed. But in good Christmas spirit, I HAD to post this.

Btw: I didn't give up on this story guys! I got super sick, and went to my grandparents house for a visit to the snow. When I got home and felt better, well that was last weekend and so my dad and boyfriend and mom sent me last minute shopping. Today we did some more last minute shopping and... GOT FREAKING REAR ENDED! My boyfriends car! I have whiplash... We weren't able to get everything we needed because of the accident, and Happy Christmas: Your car is totaled!

Also, know which tires your snow chains go on because sliding down a hill backwards in the night is flipping scary!

I'm SO sorry about the delay guys. Its been one hell of a December. Hoorah for 2009...

DISCLAIMER - Ughh...

* * *

Name: Heero Yuy

Date:** December 25, **201AC

Time: 5:30 am

Location: Earth, Sanq Kingdom. **Quatre's Mansion**.

Mission: Give and receive gifts at Quatre's.

I woke to a string Orchestra playing in the background. I made to kick off the sheets but found that they were up to my chin, pulled tight and straight. Then I felt a breeze and looked to my window which had been opened slightly. I pulled the sheets off and padded towards the music, which was coming from the opened door that led between my and Duo's rooms. Being in boxers was never a problem around Duo before so I kept listening as a man started singing. It was sad and slow and I stepped through the doorway to hear the words and found Duo in bed, sitting against the headboard, blankets wrapped around bent legs, a laptop on his lap and puffy eyes and red cheeks. When I stepped again Duo looked up at me and quickly muted his computer.

"H-hey! Merry Christmas! Ready to-"

"What were you listening to?" I asked before he could ask about presents. He waved his hand noncommittally.

"Sap… you know…" He sniffled, wiping a hand across his nose.

"On Christmas?"

"Heh, yeah I guess it is bad timing to be sad and gloomy huh? But now that you're here, we can go wake everyone else up!" He said, setting the computer aside.

"It's only five thirty Duo. Stop changing the subject." I said as I stepped closer to his bed and made a grab for his computer. He grabbed it quickly away.

"I told you! It's nothing but sappy stuff! It's bad timing remember? Christmas? Happy things? Presents?" I kept my face indifferent. "Don't look at me like that Heero! Can't a guy have secrets?" My jaw tightened. Secret? I sat next to him and opened the computer still in his hands. I reached over and typed in his password. An internet screen came up with a video. Above the video were the words 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.' I press the mute (un-mute) button and listened. The song ends with a final '_So have yourself a merry little Christmas now' _and Duo quickly shoves the computer closed. I watch as he swipes his arm across his eyes, lets it fall, and takes a deep breath.

"I can't help it. It gets me every time." He says as he grabs some pajama pants off the floor and pulls them on.

"Then why watch it?" He clears his throat and fishes around for a shirt eventually finding one and pulling it over his head. "Duo?" I ask again. He ignores me again and walks out of the room into the hallway. Still in only my boxers, I don't follow him but glance over to his computer. I open it and type the password watching as the screen pops up again. 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' I think to myself. Listening again, I feel my chest tighten at the words. They struck something inside me and chills run up my spine. I had to close the computer before I could get a grip on myself.

Something wasn't right; Duo was lingering on feelings of loneliness, which saddened me considering the job we had, and love, which surprised me because Duo had never shown any interest in others in a romantic way before.

I heard some footsteps outside in the hall and decided that Duo had woken everyone. I padded back into my own room and began dressing, my back to Duo's room which I heard him enter, having not closed the door.

"Sorry for waking you this morning." He said through the open door.

"You didn't." I said turning around. But he was already gone.

I made it downstairs where a very excited Duo and Quatre sat around the tree and a very tired Trowa and Wufei curled up under blankets on the couch. There was music playing softly in the background that I was afraid I would recognize. When I didn't I plopped in a chair next to the fireplace and waited for Quatre and Duo to start passing out presents.

Suddenly one of the presents moved on its own. Trowa and Wufei had guns on it instantly as Quatre and Duo backed away to let me have a look at it.

"Be careful Heero." I heard Quatre say sarcastically and I looked quizzically to him and Duo looking suspiciously innocent before dropping my gaze to the tag on the present.

_To: Heero_

_From: Duo_

Their guns still raised, obviously not in on the 'joke', Trowa and Wufei watched as I carefully peeled back a layer of red sparkly paper. I gasped when eyes were looking back at me before it jumped on me and licked my face. Quatre and Duo were laughing, Trowa and Wufei were lowering their guns, and I was trying to decipher what exactly was _licking_ my face.

'_Ark!'_

I grabbed it around the middle and discovered that 'it' was a little puppy. I felt the corners of my mouth threatening to smile as I took in the Husky puppy I had in my hands. It had a collar in blue and a tag in silver. The tag said: _Trinity… If found please call xxx xxx xxxx._

"Trinity?" I asked Duo.

"Yeah, they made me name her at the pound. Can you believe that? You can change it if you want, not like she's trained… yet."

"Yet?"

"There's more to the present." He answered simply. I looked at the dog and handed it to Duo to hold while I looked inside the open box that Trinity was wrapped in. The box itself was for a 'Doggy Catcher', a fence to keep the dog in. Inside with the fence was a manila envelope with Preventers Dog Academy training gift certificates and a certificate for a years supply of puppy food from a local pet store.

After thanking Duo profusely for Trinity, deciding that I'd keep the name and putting up the fence with the guys so Trinity had something to play in while the rest of the presents were opened, I put her down in it and stepped inside to sit with her.

The morning rolled on with Trinity tearing at the wrapping paper that carelessly fell around me. I opened my gift from Trowa first, knowing that it would be another desktop yearly planner. I always appreciated the consistency, even though others found it boring that I got the same thing every year from him. Trowa had mentioned needing a new external drive and very much enjoyed the one he received from me.

"Not another calendar! How did you know Trowa? I mean it's not like you get him one every year!" Duo joked. "And not more computer components! Heero, you never cease to surprise me!"

We all had a good laugh. Soon we discovered that Quatre had throw blankets made for all of us in our colors. Trowa's was Red and yellow with touches of green. Mine was blue, red and white (to which Duo made a 'you're not American!' joke). Wufei's was Green with touches of red and yellow. Duo's was black and grey with touches of red. Quatre blushed when Trowa realized he was cuddled in Quatre's that he had made for himself with greys and yellows. Our Gundam Colors. The thing that bound us as friends. It got a little sentimental until Duo pretended to be crying hysterically and I remembered that morning and sobered up.

Quatre actually did start crying (not hysterically) when he unwrapped the blown up 'best picture' of the five of us that I had framed and colorized in black and white. The wreath above his mantle was quickly taken down and the picture hung up.

Apparently Duo had taken a leaf out of Quatre's book because he too had gotten almost the same thing for everyone. There were professionally made glass ornaments in everyone's boxes except mine. Little pictures were printed on each of them. Wufei's had pictures of him and Sally. Quatre had his Maguanac Corps. Trowa's had circus pictures. Duo even pulled out one he had made for himself with pictures of literally everyone. I had to admit jealousy but quickly remembered Trinity as she plopped a card on my lap. It said _'Heero'_ on it so I petted her head and opened it while the others were thanking Duo.

'_Don't worry, made you one too. Didn't think that two presents was fair. Hope your Christmas is good one!_

_Duo Maxwell ____'_

I chuckled a little and looked to Duo who winked over Wufei's stiff shoulder. I winked back in appreciation but his smile faltered a little before laughing at Wufei's face.

We went back to opening presents, I received a leather jacket from Wufei, and laughed at discovering some bow tied squeak toys with Trinity's name on them when Duo's voice caught my attention.

"Heero?!" I looked up at him and found him somewhat angry. Then I noticed the envelope in his hand. "Heero I can't!" He shouted. It was suddenly very quiet.

"What?" Wufei asked.

"Yes you can. It's my gift to you. And don't complain. Look at what you got me." I answered, ignoring Wufei's question. Duo shook his head.

"It's too much."

"What is it?" Quatre asked.

"Preventers Dog Academy? A years supply of dog food? A puppy? No it's not. Now just accept it." I said, a little embarrassed. I didn't want the others knowing how much I had given Duo. It was seriously unfair to them.

"Heero-" He started.

"No." I finished.

"What the hell is it?" Trowa exclaimed in the loudest voice I had ever heard from him. After warning Duo with a look that said 'don't tell them how much', he answered, calmly.

"Money for my bike."

"Nice one Yuy."

"How much?"

"Yeah, how much?" They all said.

Duo looked to me, still shocked at the amount I had given him. I shook my head ever so slightly. Duo swallowed before his gazed dropped to the check and whispered.

"…iv…sand."

"Give me that!" Quatre said snatching the papers from Duo's hands. I winced as he read it out loud.

"Duo. This is for your dream bike. Hope it's enough. Happy Christmas. Heero. Ps: FOR YOUR BIKE. Five Thousand dollars– FIVE THOUSAND?! Holy shit Heero! I mean, do you even have that kind of money to… give away?"

I could feel my face warming. Of course I had that kind of money! I wouldn't be giving it away if I didn't. I had quite a large savings because of my so called anal spending habits. I had everything I needed to be comfortable but not things to be considered rich. I knew Duo had been seriously anal about his money too. First, he's been dreaming of his bike since before the wars and he's been saving money since then. I know for a fact he's got more than seven thousand saved up just for his bike. He wanted an expensive one and had worked some part time jobs on the side to make enough. I had a feeling my five thousand would top it all off for him to make the down payment.

"Duo." I gritted out. "Just accept it." Everyone was silent as they waited for his answer. Finally, he took back the check and letter mumbling that Quatre had enough money. I let out the breath I had been holding and went back to petting Trinity.

Eventually, everyone gets over it. Quatre announces that he's going to start breakfast and Trowa follows. Wufei goes upstairs, taking his presents along with him, mentioning a shower. Duo is still staring down at the check and I decide it's time for him to receive my second gift.

"Duo."

He looks up at me. "Hmm?"

"Here. You aren't the only one hiding double gifts." I say tossing him the small package that I had hidden after finding it under the tree. It was such a small gift that I didn't think it unfair to give him two but considering everyone's reaction to his other gift I thought it best to wait until he was alone. I watched as he tore the paper and I smiled at his smile.

"Guess I should've been the one to give you the Tupperware huh?" He said holding up the packet of hair ties in black.

"Nah. It's okay. I'm sure Noin was happy to have something to get me that I actually wanted." He smiled.

"Heero? Is it really okay that I take this?"

"Yes. I wouldn't have given it to you if it wasn't. Just get off my case about the bike and get it already." I joked. I was glad to hear him laugh.

"But you're coming with! You're gonna hear _all_ about it!" He paused. "You will come with right?"

"I suppose I could spare some time for your dream." I deadpanned. Duo laughed while getting up and walked towards me. He leaned over the dog fence and embraced me in a hug. Somewhere in the background I recognized the music.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas,_

_Let your heart be light_

_From now on, our troubles will be out of sight_

I pushed Duo back a little, just enough to breathe and thank him.

"Thank you for Trinity. She's beautiful." He laughed a little again, his arms still around my neck.

"She was only nine hundred!"

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas,_

_Make the Yule-tide gay,_

_From now on, our troubles will be miles away._

"But add the Dog Academy and the year's supply of puppy chow." I noted.

"Still nowhere near the expense of your present."

"And the ornament." I added. "Who do I have pictures of?" I asked, suddenly realizing the intimacy of our half embrace.

"Dur! Relena! And the guys!" He said as if I should know.

"I'll be sure to hang it in the back of the tree where no one can see it." I said sarcastically, pulling away from him.

_Once again as in olden days,_

_happy golden days of yore._

_Faithful friends who are dear to us_

_gather near to us once more._

"Why? I like to think I picked good pictures of all of us. And you should see the picture of you and Relena." He snickered a little, letting me have the room I suddenly craved. "I made that one extra big!"

"Oh joy. Definitely in the back."

"Like us that much huh?" He asked, sounding a little stung.

"Not you guys! Relena."

_Someday soon we all will be together_

_If the fates allow_

_Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow_

_So have yourself a merry little Christmas now._

"Oh. Seriously? I didn't know. I thought you still liked her! I'm sorry." His hands waved around in exclamation.

"I do still like her. Just, not romantically. It's okay. I'll hang it front and center."

Duo leaned over and embraced me again. "Thanks Heero. For everything." He whispered in a voice I had never heard him use before. I wrapped my hands under his arms and over his back, suddenly overcome with a feeling that he and I had something of a bond that no one could break. My heart pounded for him.

_Once again as in olden days,_

_happy golden days of yore._

_Faithful friends who are dear to us_

_gather near to us once more._

"Thank you too." I whispered back.

"Hey Heero?" He said pulling back and setting his forehead on mine.

"Yeah?" I answered, uncertain of our position.

"I smell breakfast!" And he let go of me, dashing into the kitchen. I was left with Trinity as my only company listening to the music playing in the background. She wrestled with the red shiny paper Duo had wrapped her in.

_Someday soon we all will be together_

_If the fates allow_

_Hang a shining star upon the highest bough._

_And have yourself a merry little Christmas now._

Mission: COMPLETE

* * *

A/N again - So if this goes down for a couple hours in a few days, it's only to put up the missing pieces and will be back up again asap! Again guys... sorry. AND DRIVE CAREFULLY!


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